Bangladesh to host Zakir Naik with “Red-Carpet” welcome 9 years after Dhaka attack

Bangladesh has approved a month-long visit by controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik, after reportedly extending a “red-carpet” invitation for the India(BHARAT)n preacher to come and deliver religious sermons across the country.

In the News

In a 180-degree flip, the visiting preacher-a self-described Dawah (Islamic missionary) worker-who is wanted in India(BHARAT) over terror links, will now be able to address audiences in Bangladesh during November 28 to December 20, 2025.

According to local media, the Dhaka-bound preacher will be able to use platforms for propagating Islam in Bangladesh.

This, in turn, is seen as a direct about-face from Bangladesh’s previous position.

The Naik Effect

Naik, who has close links with Islamist parties, was identified by security agencies in Bangladesh as having inspired two attackers in the 2016 Holey Artisan Bakery terror attack in the capital Dhaka in which 22 people were killed.

In addition to Naik’s address, the ruling Bangladesh Khaleda Zia Party reportedly also made the visit “official” by helping Naik secure visas for the country.

As a result, the interim Bangladesh government led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus gave the Dhaka visit the stamp of approval.

Broader Policy Implications

Bangladesh banned Naik’s Peace TV channels after the 2016 Dhaka attack. Sheikh Hasina and the ruling Awami League party had also enshrined their opposition to Naik’s influence by explicitly ruling out his visits to the country.

In September 2023, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen even stated that Bangladesh had a zero-tolerance policy on allowing Naik to visit.

Bangladesh’s fresh invitation to Naik thus signals a major pivot in Dhaka’s policies on engaging with Islamist political entities—whether at home or abroad.

On the one hand, this invitation could mark the opening of a Islamist-friendly platform, re-opening South Asia as a field of political engagement for Naik and his associates. Alternately, the invitation could reflect a recalibration of Bangladesh’s India(BHARAT) policy.
Naik, the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) chief, is wanted in India(BHARAT) for “terror funding” and hate speech, and an arrest warrant has been issued by India(BHARAT)’s National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Impact on India(BHARAT) and Bangladesh

This volte-face poses questions on two fronts. First, it may impact diplomatic ties between India(BHARAT) and Bangladesh. Will Dhaka’s U-turn impact security ties? Could this visit result in criticism from the international community over the links between terrorist networks and religious platforms?

On the domestic front in Bangladesh, experts fear that Naik’s presence would also bring about a strengthening of fundamentalist religious forces in the country at the expense of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s secular values.

“It is a day when Bangladesh would give a red-carpet welcome to Dr Zakir Naik on the lap of Islamist fundamentalism,” a Bangladeshi blogger had previously written.

Domestic Developments in Bangladesh

In India(BHARAT), Naik has long been under investigation by the NIA for allegedly funding terror groups, as well as using “incendiary hate speech” to promote religious violence.

In April 2024, Naik’s IRF and an India(BHARAT) chapter of the IRF’s religious education department was among various affiliates of Naik’s banned IRF declared illegal by the India(BHARAT)n authorities. The Mecca Masjid terror attack in Hyderabad, India(BHARAT), in March 2024 was also linked to Naik’s IRF and associates.

His stay in Malaysia too was cut short in February 2023 over concerns that his organization was “radicalizing students at a college run by IRF” in the Southeast Asian country.

Ahead of his Bangladesh visit, the India(BHARAT)n government has indicated it will file a strong diplomatic protest against the visiting preacher.

A larger question for India(BHARAT) is how much Bangladesh will open up space to Islamist figures like Naik at a time when New Delhi is engaged in a crackdown on Islamist terror and politics.