Mufti Maulana Abdul Malek, an Islamic law and Hadith scholar, has been appointed as the Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs announced his appointment in a statement on Friday.
He replaces Maulana Waliur Rahman, who took the reins after
Khatib Ruhul Amin disappeared following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.
Born at Monoharganj in Cumilla, Mufti Abdul Malek previously served as a member of the Bangladesh Qwami Madrasa Education Board from 2012 to 2017.
He holds multiple degrees in Islamic studies, Hadith, and Fiqh from renowned educational institutions both domestically and internationally, according to the ministry.
Mufti Abdul Malek studied under globally respected Islamic scholar Mufti Justice Twaki Osmani and conducted a two-year research project in Hadith and Islamic law under Prof Shaykh Abdul Fattah Abu Guddah at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, a top scholar in the Arab world.
He has travelled to Makkah, Madinah, Pakistan, India and Turkey and has presented articles at various national and international seminars. Abdul Malek has authored 16 books in Bangla, Arabic, English and Urdu.
A jounal called the ‘Monthly Al-Kawsar’ was published regularly under his supervision.
After the overthrow of the Awami League government by a student-led mass uprising, the then Khatib Maulana Ruhul Amin went into hiding. Since then, Maulana Waliur Rahman has been performing the duties of the Khatib.
On September 20, Maulana Ruhul Amin suddenly reappeared at Baitul Mukarram, sparking tensions among devotees during Jummah prayers at the mosque.
A clash erupted between supporters of the two Khatibs as the two sides hurled shoes at each other and vandalised the national mosque.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs suspended Khatib Ruhul Amin two days after the incident.
