Ashraf Mahdi
Ashraf Uddin Mahdi | |
|---|---|
আশরাফ উদ্দিন মাহদী | |
 Mahdi in 2025 | |
| Personal details | |
| Alma mater | |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | Bangladeshi |
| Parents |
|
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Hanafi |
| Movement | Deobandi |
| Political Party | National Citizen Party |
| Main interest(s) | |
| Relatives | Fazlul Haque Amini (grandfather) |
 Search Ashraf Mahdi on Amazon. | |
Ashraf Uddin Mahdi is a Bangladeshi Islamic scholar and activist-turned-politician from a Qawmi background, currently serving as Joint Convenor of the National Citizen Party. He is the grandson of Fazlul Haque Amini. During his student years, he became known for his criticism of alleged corruption within Qawmi institutions and among leaders of Islami Oikya Jote and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh who were aligned with the Sheikh Hasina government.[1] He was detained twice under this administration, and his reported enforced disappearances were condemned by Amnesty International as a 'brazen tactic' to silence dissent.[2]
Personal life
Ashraf Mahdi is the grandson of the late Fazlul Haque Amini, a former chairman of Islami Oikya Jote. His father, Jasim Uddin, is the son-in-law of Amini.[3] He pursued Islamic and higher education at several institutions, including Al-Azhar University,[4] Jamia Qurania Arabia Lalbagh,[5] and the Islamic University, Bangladesh.[6]
Student activism
Mahdi began his student activism with Islami Chhatra Khilafat, the student wing of Islami Oikya Jote, before later joining Chhatra Jamiat Bangladesh, affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh.[3] He received attention after alleging that his grandfather, Fazlul Haque Amini, had been poisoned—an accusation he directed at Islami Oikya Jote leader Altaf Hossain. In response, Amini's son and Mahdi's maternal uncle, Abul Hasanat Amini, publicly refuted the claim during a Facebook Live broadcast.[7] According to Manab Zamin, Mahdi's activism has been characterized by two main features: his criticism of Hefazat-e-Islam's former leader Shah Ahmad Shafi on various issues, and his outspoken stance against alleged corruption within the Qawmi madrasa boards.[1]
Arrest and disappearance
On 9 February 2017, Mahdi was detained along with 11 others at the Ekushey Book Fair premises and held at the Detective Branch office on Minto Road, Dhaka. He was released two days later.[8] On 25 July 2020, while traveling to Egypt, Mahdi was denied exit by Bangladeshi immigration authorities in Dubai and sent back to Bangladesh. He was subsequently presented before a court in Chittagong on 28 July in connection with a local case, where he was accused of involvement in an attack.[1] On 6 August 2020, Mahdi was reportedly subjected to enforced disappearance while returning home from Lalbagh. Prior to the incident, he had stated that if anything happened to him, individuals including Fayez Ullah and Altaf Hossain should be held responsible.[3]
In response to his disappearance, a number of ulama and political figures issued statements demanding his safe return. These included Muhibbullah Babunagari, Nur Hossain Qasmi, Ataullah Hafezzi, Nurul Islam Jihadi, Mahfuzul Haque, Mamunul Haque, and Sakhawat Hossain Razi.[9] Junaid Babunagari publicly described the incident as a politically motivated act and called for the immediate withdrawal of what he termed 'fabricated charges.'[7] Mahdi reappeared unharmed on the night of 8 August.[10] Following the incident, Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the suppression of free expression, urging authorities to "stop assaults on freedom of expression."[2] Mahdi later informed Amnesty International that his abductors had released him on the condition that he cease posting critical commentary on social media about certain individuals associated with the government.[2]
July revolution
On 8 September 2024, a 55-member body known as the Jatiya Nagorik Committee was formed, comprising individuals involved in that year's July revolution. Mahdi served as a joint convenor of the committee.[11] On 25 September, he became a founding member of Tarun Alem Projonmo (Young Ulama Generation), which, during its inaugural event, published a list of 77 ulama and students reportedly killed during the revolution.[12] Subsequently, on 27 September, an intellectual platform called Sadharon Alem Shomaj (General Ulama Forum) was launched to reflect on the future of politics in post-revolution Bangladesh and to discuss the potential role of ulama in shaping national discourse. Mahdi was appointed joint convenor of this group as well.[13] On 30 October, he participated in a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk at the University of Dhaka, where he referred to the 2013 Shapla Square massacre as a 'genocide' and urged international attention.[4]
On 28 February 2025, the Jatiya Nagorik Committee was formally dissolved, followed by the formation of a political party named the National Citizen Party, in which Mahdi was appointed joint convenor.[14] On 7 May, he was selected as a member of the party's Political Liaison Committee, responsible for engaging with other political parties and movements.[15] In public statements, Mahdi criticized the 2018 Shukrana Mahfil, asserting that it was politically orchestrated to demonstrate Qawmi madrasa support for the ruling party ahead of the national election. He alleged that those who led the campaign against it, including himself, were later subjected to imprisonment, harassment, and, in some cases, enforced disappearance.[16] He also accused members of the Gonojagoron Moncho of being the planners and executors of the 2013 Shapla Square massacre.[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Who is this Ashraf Mahdi?". Manab Zamin. 10 August 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Stop assault on freedom of expression, assembly". The Daily Star. 12 August 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Hossain, Chowdhury Akbar (10 August 2020). "Where was Ashraf Mahdi?". Bangla Tribune.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Students spoke on various issues, including the murder trial". Prothom Alo. 30 October 2024.
- ↑ "Qawmi Madrasa scholars and students stand by flood victims". Bangla Tribune. 13 August 2016.
- ↑ Speech of student leader Ashraf Mahdi (Video). Atiqur Kamali. 20 November 2024.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Dey, Sameer Kumar (8 August 2020). "Why is Ashraf Mahdi missing?". Deutsche Welle.
- ↑ "Police release 11 people detained from book fair after two days". Bangla Tribune. 11 February 2017.
- ↑ "Statement by the country's top ulema: Return Hafez Ashraf Mahdi, grandson of Mufti Amini". Daily Inqilab. 8 August 2020. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Ashraf Mahdi released on condition of not writing on Facebook". The Daily Ittefaq. 11 August 2020.
- ↑ "Formation of National Citizens Committee". Voice of America. 8 September 2024.
- ↑ Adud, Mohammad Abdul (25 September 2024). "List of 77 scholars and students martyred in mass uprising published". Daily Inqilab.
- ↑ "Intellectual organization 'Sadharon Alem Shomaj' debuts". Banglanews24.com. 27 September 2024.
- ↑ "Who are the leaders of the National Citizens Party and what positions are they in?". Prothom Alo. 28 February 2025.
- ↑ "NCP forms political liaison committee to discuss judicial reforms with various parties". Prothom Alo. 7 May 2025.
- ↑ "'Sheikh Hasina has tried to do politics many times, wanting to show that the Qawmi Madrasa part is with me.'". Janakantha. 8 May 2025.
- ↑ "Members of Ganajagaran Mancha played a role in implementing the Shapla genocide plan: Ashraf Mahdi". Janakantha. 16 May 2025.
This article "Ashraf Mahdi" is from Simple English Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Ashraf Mahdi.
