A long-standing ideological dispute between Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and sections of Qawmi madrasa-based Deobandi scholars continues to persist. The disagreement, rooted in writings by Jamaat founder Maulana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, has resurfaced around the 13th national election. Qawmi leaders allege that Maududi’s views on prophets and companions contradict core Sunni beliefs, prompting some clerics to declare voting for Jamaat as religiously forbidden. Hefazat-e-Islam’s Amir Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari publicly called voting for Jamaat haram and endorsed a rival candidate, intensifying the divide.

Jamaat leaders, however, deny any doctrinal deviation, asserting that their faith aligns with mainstream Islam and that Maududi’s opinions are personal, not institutional. They accuse a small group of Qawmi clerics of reviving disputes during elections. Despite tensions, Jamaat has sought reconciliation, with its Amir Dr. Shafiqur Rahman apologizing to Qawmi scholars and urging unity. Some younger Qawmi clerics, including Maulana Ali Hasan Usama, believe the conflict is easing and can be resolved through dialogue.

The dispute, once theological, has evolved into a political rivalry influencing alliances and electoral strategies within Bangladesh’s Islamist landscape.