Hefazat-e-Islam
Another Hefazat leader detained
Maulana Jubair Ahmed, vice-president of Hefazat-e-Islam's Dhaka city unit has been detained from his residence in the capital today.
Iftekhairul Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Media & PR Division) confirmed the news to UNB.
He said the arrest was made at around 5pm based on an anonymous tip.
Also read: Another top Hefazat leader arrested
Maulana Jubair was arrested on charges of his involvement in the Shapla Chattar violence on May 5, 2013.
Police sources added that he is also accused in multiple cases for his alleged involvement with the recent violence in protest of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit.
Police have now arrested Hefazat central organising secretary Azizul Haque Islamabadi, assistant secretary general Sakhawat Hossein Raji, central committee assistant secretary general Manjurul Islam and assistant-publicity secretary Mufti Sharifullah in cases related to Shapla Chattar violence on May 5, 2013 - although few doubt the drive against the organisation's leadership stems from the opposition they displayed against the Indian prime minister.
Also read: Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi held in Chattogram
The courts have also granted law enforcers several days to interrogate them in remand.
The most high profile arrest so far has been the one of Islamabadi. He was arrested from Chittagong on Sunday. The court granted 7 days' remand for him.
24 more held over Brahmanbaria mayhem
Twenty-four more people were arrested in the past 24 hours in connection with the clashes and vandalism by Hefazat-e-Islam activists and supporters in Brahmanbaria last month, police said Friday.
The arrests were made from different parts of the district, according to the special branch of district police.
So far, 54 cases have been filed and 261 people arrested over the violence, the police said.
Also read: 30 more held over clashes in Brahmanbaria
On March 27, at least five people were killed and around 50 others, including 25 policemen, injured in clashes between members of the law enforcement agencies and locals during Hefazat's demonstrations at Nandanpur in Sadar upazila.
They had staged the protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh visit.
The next day, during Hefazat's countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike, against police action on their anti-Modi processions in Dhaka, the organisation's activists in Chattogram and other districts set three buildings on fire, including the land office in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.
Also read: Land office, 2 other buildings set on fire in Brahmanbaria, Train attacked
They had also attacked a Chattogram-bound train at Talshohor Rail Station in Brahmanbaria town.
Also, the Hefazat supporters vandalised several private and government establishments, including the municipality building, Alauddin Music Academy, and Foirtala Bus Stand in Sadar upazila.
They had also attacked Brahmanbaria Press Club and confined some journalists to the premises.
Another top Hefazat leader arrested
Hefazat-e-Islam’s Assistant Publicity Secretary Sharifullah was arrested in Dhaka on Tuesday night.
He was accused in a case filed under the Special Powers Act in 2013, said Azhar Mukul, additional deputy commissioner of Detective Branch (Wari division) of the DMP.
Also read: Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi held in Chattogram
On Sunday, Hefazat’s Organising Secretary Azizul Haque Islamabadi was arrested in Chittagong.
The court has put him on a seven-day remand.
Sonargaon Hefazat president, 3 others held from Dhaka
Local unit president of Hefazat-e-Islam and three other leaders were arrested from Dhaka’s Jurain in a case filed over vandalism at the Royal Resort in Sonargaon on April 3.
The arrestees were identified as Hefazat president of Sonargaon unit Mawlana Mohiuddin Khan, General Secretary of the unit Mawlana Shahjahan Shibli, Vice-President Mawlana Moazzem Hossain and the key accused Mawlana Iqbal Hossain, President of Khelafat Majlish.
Also Read: Hathazari Hefazat-police clash: 2,500 accused in 7 cases
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-11 Captain Lieutenant Colonel Khandakar Saiful Alam confirmed the matter in a press release.
On April 3, supporters of Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque went on a rampage in Narayanganj and vandalised the Royal Resort, where he was kept in police custody after locals found him with a woman, who the leader claimed to be his 2nd wife.
Mahanagar Hefazat Secretary Ferdausur Rahman on April 3 said Mamunul went to the resort with his second wife where the local Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders confined and harassed him before calling in the police.
Also Read: Hefazat leader Azizul Haque Islamabadi held in Chattogram
Later, in the evening, madrasa teachers and students gathered in front of the resort and started chanting slogans demanding the release of Mamunul. At one point they tore down the main gate of the resort and ran riot after entering the property.
As the situation was getting out of control, police released Mamunul to the protesters. Yet they continued the vandalism at the resort until the law enforcement let Mamunul's claimed wife go too.
PBI submits probe report against Babunagari, 42 others
Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) on Monday submitted an investigation report against Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Junaid Babunagari and 42 others in a case filed over the alleged murder of the group’s former chief Shah Ahmad Shafi.PBI Chattogram Police Superintendent Nazmul Hossain said the report was submitted to the Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Court in the afternoon.
Also read: Case filed over Hefazat chief Shafi’s death, Mamunul among 36 sued
Also read: Ahmad Shafi’s death: PBI investigators visit Hathazari MadrasaShafi, the rector of Hathazari Madrasa and chief of Hefazat, breathed his last at a hospital in the capital on September 18 last year at the age of 104.On December 17, a case was filed against 36 people including Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque over the death of Shafi.Md Mainuddin, the brother-in-law of Shafi, filed the case with Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Court-3, calling his death “a planned murder”.The court ordered PBI to file an investigation report within a month.
Tensions spill over clash between AL factions in Kushtia; 25 injured
At least twenty five were injured in Kushtia in a clash between two groups of Awami League over a Facebook post on Hefazat’s leader Mamunul Haque.
The incident took place on Monday morning in Upazila’s Jiarkhi area.
According to local sources, a dispute was long going on between the ward Awami League’s current president Azizul Haque and former president Ahsan Sardar.
Also read: Sonargaon resort furore: Mamunul among 600 sued in 3 cases
Recently Jiarkhi Union’s Shecchashebok League president and a supporter of Azizul Haque posted on Facebook against Hefazat’s leader Mamunul Haque.
Some of the supporters of Ahsan Sarder commented in favour of Mamunul Haque in that post and mocked Shariful Islam as ‘Narendra Modi’s son’
Over this issue a friction started on Monday and soon the scene turned into a battleground of throwing brick chips at each other.
Several houses of both parties' members were vandalized and looted too.
Additional police have been deployed in the area to control the situation.
Also read: Journalist assaulted, house ransacked ‘for not apologising to Mamunul’
Among the injured, Saidul, 40, was sent to Dhaka with severe injuries and another four were admitted in Kushtia General Hospital.
Local AL secretary Azizul Haque said Ahsan Saradr’s men attacked them, supporting Mamunul Haque.
Meanwhile, Ahsan Sardar claims Azizul’s men attacked his men and their house labeling them to be Hafazat’s supporters.
At least twelve of his supporters got injured in the attack, said Ahsan Sardar.
Also read: Woman who was with Hefazat leader Mamunul is not his wife: Minister
Quran recitation, prayers to stop coronavirus in Ramadan: Hefazat Ameer
Hefazat-e-Islam’s chief Junaid Babunagri has said that the recitation of the holy Quran and prayers during Ramadan will stop the spread of the coronavirus.
He said they will not allow the government to shut down madrasas in the pretext of lockdown and called for allowing people to pray at mosques during the month of fasting.
“We won’t allow shutting down of madrasas in the pretext of lockdown to curb coronavirus and stopping prayers at mosques. Taraweeh, Jum’a prayers and ‘Etekaf’ will continue,” he said after an emergency meeting of Hefazat at Hathazari on Sunday.
Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown
He said the National Ulama Mashayekh Council would take place on May 29 at Hathazari.
“Coronavirus won’t have any effect because of recitation of the Quran, [discussion on] Hadith and prayers at religious gatherings,” the Hefazat chief said.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths
“No madrasa student or religious scholar has been infected with coronavirus. The virus won’t infect because of religious gatherings and prayers during Iftaar,” he added.
When asked about Mamunul Haq’s resort incident, Babunagri said it was a “personal affair”.
Hefazat leader Mamunul’s ‘2nd wife’ goes missing; GD filed
A general diary has been lodged with Paltan Police Station over the reported missing of the ‘second wife’ of Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque.
Abdur Rahman, son of Mamunul’s ‘2nd wife’ Jharna, lodged the GD with Paltan Police Station on Saturday night, said officer-in-charge of the police station AB Siddique.
According to the GD, Abdur went to his mother’s Dhanmondi house on Saturday and did not find her.
Also read: Sonargaon resort furore: Mamunul among 600 sued in 3 cases
When he inquired about his mother, someone told him that she went out of the house on April 3 and since then she did not return home.
However, he found three diaries of his mother and he deposited those to the police station.
Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque, who has been the loudest voice in the organisation in a number of recent controversies, was detained with a woman he claims as his second wife from a resort in Sonargaon on April 3.
Also read: Journalist assaulted, house ransacked ‘for not apologising to Mamunul’
Mahanagar Hefazat’s secretary said Mamunul went to the resort with his second wife where the locals confined and harassed him, before calling in the police.
The woman detained with him was his second wife as claimed by Mamunul Haque.
Also read: Hefazat's Mamunul detained with woman from resort
Sonargaon resort furore: Mamunul among 600 sued in 3 cases
At least 600 people including Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque were sued in three cases filed over an attack on police and vandalism at Royal Resort in Narayanaganj's Sonargaon on April 3.
Narayanganj Superintendent of Police Md Zayedul Alam said the law enforcement filed two cases and a journalist filed the other.
Also read: Hefazat's Mamunul detained with woman from resort
On April 3, supporters of Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul went on a rampage in Narayanganj and vandalised Royal Resort where he was kept in police custody after locals found him with a woman, who the leader claimed to be his wife.
Mahanagar Hefazat Secretary Ferdausur Rahman on Saturday said Mamunul went to the resort with his second wife where the local Chhatra League and Jubo League leaders confined and harassed him before calling in the police.
Also read: Hefazat activists' show of force frees leader Mamunul from police custody
Later, in the evening, madrasa teachers and students gathered in front of the resort and started chanting slogans demanding the release of Mamunul. At one point they tore down the main gate of the resort and ran riot after entering the property.
As the situation was getting out of control, police released Mamunul to the protesters. Yet they continued the vandalism at the resort until the law enforcement let Mamunul's wife go, too, at around 8pm.
Prepare a list of instigators of terrorism: Quader
Urging the party activists to prepare a list of the instigators of terrorism, anarchy and communal acts, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader on Wednesday asked them to deal with Hefazat-e-Islam politically.
Obaidul Quader gave the instruction during a regular briefing of the Awami League at his official residence in the morning.
"Leaders and activists of the Awami League know how to react when they are attacked," he said.
Describing Hefazat-e-Islam as an extremist communal force, Quader said they have crossed the limit of tolerance by continuing violence in different parts of Bangladesh, aiming to destroy the prevailing peace.
Read: Public transport to be suspended from Monday: Quader
Affirming that Sheikh Hasina’s government is committed to protecting the lives and property of people, he warned that those who have carried out or are still carrying out violence across the country will have to face the dire consequences.
Quader said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has revived the lost democracy in Bangladesh by uniting people.
He said Awami League is still behaving responsibly against the destructive politics of the reactionary force as it is in the government.
“The people of Bangladesh are religious … they do not support any bigotry. Don’t play with fire. If you play with fire, it’ll burn your hands too,” the Awami League leader warned.
Referring to the attacks on public and private establishments in different parts of the country, arson attacks on land offices, Quader said legal action would be taken and no one would be spared.
The nation will no longer tolerate any disregard to the Liberation War and its spirit and the humiliation of Bangabandhu.
Awami League workers will respond to those who have attacked Bangabandhu's pictures and sculptures as well, he added.
Read: Govt to enforce 7-day lockdown from Monday: Quader
Quader called upon all the patriotic people to get united under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina saying that the evil forces must be resisted and defeated.
Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, said the information of resuming long-haul bus services in a day or two is not correct.
He has made it clear that some people are spreading propaganda and making misleading remarks about it.