Amend the Property Transfer Bill Promptly Through Consultation

Leaders of various Islamic political parties have called for the prompt amendment of the recently passed Property Transfer Bill through consultations with the country’s top ulema. In separate meetings, the leaders stated that the newly passed bill has sparked deep concern among Islamic scholars and devout citizens. They emphasized that the government should consult with the ulema to swiftly amend the matter and dispel the anxieties prevailing among the public.

Maulana Mamunul Haque, Amir of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, stated that imposing controversial decisions concerning the religious sentiments and Islamic values of the public is imprudent. He noted that the recent bill has caused widespread apprehension and warned that failure to amend it through consultation could lead to instability and unexpected situations.

Speaking as the chair at the monthly meeting of the central executive council at the central office on Tuesday, presided over by Secretary General Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmad, he questioned whose advice influenced such decisions at the policy-making level. He asserted that ignoring public religious beliefs and values would yield no positive outcome for the government and urged meaningful dialogue with the ulema for necessary revisions.

Meanwhile, speakers at a roundtable discussion organized by Tahaffuze Madarise Kawmiya Bangladesh on Tuesday declared that any law or provision conflicting with Muslim family law and the fundamental principles of Islamic inheritance cannot be accepted by Muslim society. They demanded that the government refrain from any initiative to distort or restrict the Shariah-compliant Heba (gift) system and called for the cancellation of the anti-Shariah law concerning so-called Jibonswotto Heba (gift with life interest).

Highlighting that Heba is a recognized and vital institution in Islamic Shariah, the speakers pointed out that clear guidelines exist in the Quran, Sunnah, and Fiqh regarding property transfer, donation, and inheritance for Muslims. Enacting or enforcing laws conflicting with these provisions, they warned, could undermine the religious rights and established family laws of the Muslim population.

The roundtable, titled ‘Tahaffuze Fikre Deoband, Current Context, and Heba Law Preserving Life Interest,’ was held on Tuesday at the Aftabnagar Madrasa auditorium in Dhaka. Presided over by the organization’s convener, Mufti Mohammad Ali, and conducted by member secretary Mufti Hafiz Uddin, the meeting featured a keynote paper presented by Maulana Ilyas Hussain Qasemi, alongside addresses by several prominent scholars and leaders.