From Amini's Protégé to IOJ Secretary General , Leader of the BNP-led
20 Party Alliance on Election Commission formation Fayez Ullah was a student and political associate of
Fazlul Haque Amini. After Amini's death in 2012, Fayez Ullah was elected secretary general of IOJ on 9 January 2013. During this period, he publicly criticized
Awami League ally
Hasanul Haq Inu, accusing him of fueling political unrest during the early 1970s. Ahead of the
2018 general election, reports indicated that IOJ, under Fayez Ullah's leadership, reached an informal understanding with the ruling Awami League. However, the party ultimately did not participate due to unresolved seat-sharing disputes. Despite these controversies, Fayez Ullah was reappointed as IOJ secretary general on 16 July 2023. On 23 November 2023, he met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to discuss the upcoming national election, though he himself did not take part in the polls, even though his party did.
Role in Hefazat-e-Islam (center) Fayez Ullah has been associated with Hefazat-e-Islam since its inception and was one of the main organizers of its
2013 movement. During this period, he served as the joint secretary general of the 101-member central committee. Following the
Shapla Square massacre, some Hefazat leaders blamed him and
Moinuddin Ruhi for the incident. On 22 September 2013, the central Shura and executive committees of Hefazat-e-Islam were formed at an ulama conference held at Babunagar, but neither Fayez Ullah nor Moinuddin Ruhi were given any positions. In response, several ulama from Chittagong issued a statement demanding their inclusion and accused
Izharul Islam Chowdhury and
Azizul Haque Islamabadi of spreading false allegations against them. After the Shapla Square incident, Hefazat's central office in Dhaka was relocated from Lalbagh Madrasa to Baridhara Madrasa. In 2016, due to internal power struggles, the Dhaka Hefazat committee split into two factions, with Fayez Ullah serving as the member secretary of one of the groups. That year, Fayez Ullah opposed the creation process of the
Fatwa of Peace for Humanity, arguing that it would not be acceptable because a large portion of the one hundred thousand signatories were not qualified
Muftis. In November 2018, he participated in the
Shukrana Mahfil, where he expressed gratitude toward Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He acknowledged her recognition of Qawmi degree with respect to the Quran and Sunnah, describing her decisions as historic and transformative, which won the hearts of the country's religious scholars, students, and devout population. However, these activities caused divisions within his organization, with many leaders and activists urging Hefazat to remain apolitical through social media and leaflets. Among those supporting him were
Anas Madani, the organization's publicity secretary, and joint secretary general Moinuddin Ruhi. In contrast, senior deputy Amir
Muhibbullah Babunagari announced his resignation from the organization.
Impact of the Hathazari protest alleging Shafi's death was planned A
student-led protest broke out at
Darul Uloom Hathazari in 2020, demanding the removal of Anas Madani and Shah Ahmad Shafi from their respective positions. Following these events, Shah Ahmad Shafi died on 18 September 2020. Fayez Ullah publicly claimed that
Shafi's death was premeditated and called for a judicial investigation to determine the circumstances. After Shafi's death, Hefazat, under the leadership of the then Secretary General
Junaid Babunagari, scheduled a delegate conference for 15 November 2020. Fayez Ullah criticized the decision, describing it as a conspiracy. During the conference, he was formally removed from the organization, a decision he later rejected as illegitimate. He subsequently attempted to form a parallel committee in collaboration with Anas Madani, but the effort failed due to lack of sufficient support.
Repercussions of the July Revolution On 5 August 2024, Fayez Ullah was reportedly invited by the
Chief of Army Staff to
Bangabhaban for discussions concerning the
Resignation of Sheikh Hasina and the potential formation of an
interim government following the
July Revolution. His attendance was criticized by
Mamunul Haque and two other figures, who accused him of maintaining ties with the previous administration. Following this criticism, he ceased to participate in any further meetings at Bangabhaban. Subsequently, on 9 August 2024, the Majlis-e-Shura of
Islami Oikya Jote convened a session in Paltan, presided over by party chairman
Abul Hasanat Amini, during which Fayez Ullah and Altaf Hossain were removed from their positions. Later, on 27 December,
Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh also dismissed him from its leadership after student protests called for his removal, citing his perceived association with the former government. == Public statements ==