In yet another example of the rise in religious extremism and Pakistani jihadi mindset in Bangladesh, Islamist groups are demanding the government declare the minority Ahmadiyya sect "non-Muslims". A show-of-strength rally has been planned for November 15 in Dhaka, where Pakistani and Indian clerics, including from Darul Uloom Deoband, have been invited.

Homes, businesses and places of worship of Ahmadiyya people, along with those of Hindus and other religious minorities, were targeted soon after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5, 2024.

Though the demand for Ahmadiyyas to be branded non-Muslims, like in Pakistan, isn't new in Bangladesh, followers of the sect are scared for their lives and identity, even more so now amid the new political and social realities in th

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