Dhaka: The government will decide whether Indian maulana Saad Kandolvi will join Biswa Ijtema or not, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Thursday.

Police have been providing security for maulana Saad as he is now staying at Kakrail Mosque, said deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masudur Rahman, quoting DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia.

Masud said, ‘The government will decide whether Saad will join the Biswa Ijtema… we’re just providing security to him.’

Earlier on Wednesday, a good number of Tabligh Jamaat men put barricades at Airport Road intersection from 12:00noon to 4:30pm, creating huge traffic jams in the area. They    later withdrew it following a request by law enforcers.

Pro-Qaumi Madrasa Tabligh Jamaat followers, led by one of its influential leaders Maulana Muhammad Jubayer, have long been opposing the arrival of Saad Kandolvi here following his some controversial comments about religious issues.

Saad Kandolvi reached the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by a Thai Airways flight on Wednesday.

He was scheduled to join the first phase of the 53rd Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslim community after the holy hajj, to be held from January 12-14 on the bank of the Turag River.