What happened in Central Asia, Bangladesh that India banned Hizb-ut-Tahrir? understand one thing at a time

New Delhi : The central government has declared the Islamic fundamentalist organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organization two days ago. It is being told that this organization used to trap innocent people and instigate them to follow the path of terrorism. People familiar with the matter said that the Narendra Modi government is keeping a close eye on the increasing activities of the terrorist organization in the extended neighborhood of Central Asia. The special thing is that apart from Bangladesh, five Central Asian countries have also banned this organization.

What is Hizb-ut-Tahrir?

Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), is an international Islamic organization. It was established in Jerusalem in 1953. Its Palestinian branch has hundreds of members, who have been suppressed by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank. Hizb ut-Tahrir aims to re-establish the caliphate through non-military means.

Hizb Ut Tahrir: Government of India declared Hizb-ut-Tahrir a terrorist organization, banned

Who is the founder of HUT?

The founder of HUT is Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani. In India, followers were taught that the nation was Darul Kufr (land of non-believers), and they were to convert it to Darul Islam by establishing an Islamic empire through violent jihad.

Why was the ban imposed?

The UK government banned it in January this year after it praised and celebrated the horrific attacks in Israel on October 7. Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in some Muslim-majority countries. Although it operates freely in Western countries, many governments have previously attempted to outlaw it. On Thursday, the Home Ministry banned it under UAPA.

What is Hizb-ut-Tahrir against whose 17 members NIA filed charge sheet in MP?
According to experts, Hizb ut-Tahrir along with Jamaat-e-Islami, Islamic Movement and Ansarullah Bangla Team allegedly hijacked the student movement. For this reason, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed from the post in August. he/she said that for the last two months, HUT leaders in Bangladesh have been demonstrating their strength through public display of the organisation’s propaganda.

Role of HuT in India

Anti-terrorism experts claim that the organization’s presence in India was minor and it was not considered illegal. Earlier this year, Madhya Pradesh ATS busted a module that was active across the state. After this the case was sent to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The agency filed a chargesheet against 17 members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

The investigation found that members of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) were spread across the country. They were secretly recruiting in Madhya Pradesh and strengthening their cadre. According to the NIA, the accused were inspired by the extremist ideology of HUT, which aimed to create a Sharia-based Islamic nation in India through violent activities.

Are they limited to Madhya Pradesh only?

So far, the HuT module has been found active in Chennai, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. NIA has detained Faizul Rehman, the state emir of Hizb-ut-Tahrir movement in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Rehman, along with six others, has been accused of inciting separatism and seeking military assistance from Pakistan to liberate Jammu and Kashmir.

Important role in the new government of Bangladesh

Apart from Jamaat-e-Islami, the growing network of Hutt-ut-Islami in Bangladesh is also under the surveillance of global security establishments. Mahfooz Alam, a student allegedly associated with Hizb-ut-Tahrir, was appointed special secretary to Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh. HUT first became active in Bangladesh when the BNP-Jamaat alliance was in power, and was advocating the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.