2020 Hefazat Delegate Conference

On 15 November 2020, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh convened a delegate conference at Darul Uloom Hathazari in Chittagong—the first of its kind since the group's establishment in 2010. The conference took place in the aftermath of student protests in Hathazari and the death of the organization's long-time chief, Shah Ahmad Shafi. It unfolded amid an internal leadership dispute between two rival factions: one led by Secretary-General Junaid Babunagari, known for his opposition to the ruling Awami government, and the other aligned with Anas Madani, son of Shah Ahmad Shafi, who was perceived as supportive of the government. The Babunagari faction took control of the organization by forming a new 151-member central committee, appointing Babunagari as Amir, Nur Hossain Qasmi as Secretary-General, and Muhibbullah Babunagari as Chief Adviser. The opposing Madani faction rejected the legitimacy of this outcome and attempted to organize a parallel leadership structure with government support, but failed to gain widespread backing.