Dr Zakir Naik: The rabid Islamic preacher who causes unrest

The National Investigation Agency has taken the footage of Zakir Naik's speeches for analysis and are mulling action against him. Naik's name has cropped up in the investigations that are being conducted in the Dhaka attack.

Investigators say that two of the Dhaka attackers Nibras Islam and Rohan Imtiaz had said on their social media profiles that they were inspired by the speeches of Naik.

For Dr Zakir Naik aged 51 controversy is no stranger. His speeches have known to cause unrest which has led to him being banned in various places. He can no longer deliver sermons in Mumbai, the city he belongs to.

He has been banned in Britain and Canada. Further he was not allowed to address a crowd in Mangalore recently.

The controversy that is Dr Zakir Naik

Dr Naik is an Islamic preacher. He has drawn the ire of both the Sunni and Shia clergy for his comments. He had once refused to term Osama Bin Laden a terrorist and said that anyone fighting the enemies of Islam had his support. Naik who believed in the oneness of God became more controversial as his popularity grew.

The man is capable of generating huge TRPs and his talk shows on the Peace TV are a major hit with the younger lot. However the police say that the problem with him is that he causes a great deal of unrest.

In fact he had become more controversial as his popularity grew. Some even feel that his controversial comments are aimed more at generating the TRPs and funds rather than attempting to create an ideological bend among the youth.

He never practised medicine. Instead he began studying religion and started the Islamic Research Foundation at Dongri in Mumbai. He would preach in the nights to a small group of people.

However the crowds started increasing and with this he began more controversial. He would spare no attempt to insult beliefs and the police said that his speeches had turned into radicalisation exercises.