Rafiqul Islam Madani Again Criticises Sadiq Kayem Amid DUCSU Controversy

Islamic speaker Rafiqul Islam Madani has renewed his criticism of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice President Sadiq Kayem amid an ongoing debate over recent university activities. In a Facebook post on Monday, September 28, Madani questioned what he described as a growing tendency among some Islamist figures to compromise their principles in pursuit of political power and acceptance in the West.

Madani said he had initially decided not to comment further on the controversy, but later chose to respond after seeing what he described as efforts by some YouTubers and content creators to defend Kayem’s position.
In his post, Madani argued that the controversy should not be reduced to whether female students should participate in sports. He noted that women regularly take part in sporting activities at Dhaka University.

According to Madani, his concern is instead about Kayem’s presence at a sporting event involving female students, his remarks there and his apparent support for an organiser associated with the event.

He had raised similar concerns in an earlier Facebook post, calling on prominent Islamic scholars to provide clearer guidance on the issue.

Madani also alleged that some Islamist political actors are attempting to present themselves as “moderate” and “progressive” to Western countries in the hope of gaining political power.

He compared what he described as this approach with the strategies of established political parties in Bangladesh. Madani predicted that such efforts could intensify over the next one or two years as political groups seek greater public and international acceptance.

These statements represent Madani’s own political and religious assessment; the reports reviewed do not establish independent evidence for his allegations about the motives of Kayem or other political actors.

At the end of his post, Madani advised those involved to seek forgiveness from Allah privately even if they publicly continue to face criticism. He added that whether such repentance would be accepted ultimately rests with Allah.

Earlier, Madani had also acknowledged some initiatives associated with Kayem and other DUCSU leaders, including measures related to student accommodation, transportation and drinking water. However, he argued that such achievements should be considered separately from questions of religious values and ideology.