Hefazat wants case withdrawal, release of leaders before polls

Mohammad Selim, Chattogram

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh is seeking the withdrawal of more than 200 cases filed against its top leaders and activists and the release of some leaders from prison before the next parliamentary election.

The high command of the Islamist party is mulling to wage a massive movement demanding one point to oust the government if their demands are met by November 30. For this, they are strengthening the demand for case withdrawal and release of the leaders.

Hefazat-e-Islam's Joint Secretary General Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi said they have urged the government to withdraw all cases against their leaders and activists filed since 2013. But the government didn’t pay attention to their demand. Rather, leaders and activists of the party are being harassed in many ways. For this reason, Hefazat-e-Islam is agitated with the government. In these circumstances, they have given the government till November 30 to meet their demands.

Wishing anonymity, a leader of the Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh said they want final reports of the false cases registered against their leaders and activists before the next national polls. It will be easy before the election and will be tougher after the election, he added.

Sources said a total of 203 cases have been lodged all over the country against the leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam centering their May 5, 2013, and March 26, 2021, Dhaka blockade programmes. Of these, 53 cases were filed across the country over the May 5 blockade. Out of these cases, 49 cases are being investigated. On the other hand, 154 cases have been filed over the 2021 incident. Several hundred leaders and activists have been arrested in these cases.

The government has developed a very good relationship with Hefazat for the last one and a half years. Since then, leaders of the party have become active in meeting their demands. On December 17 last year, a delegation of Hefazat-e-Islam met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later, Hefazat leaders met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal several times. After the meetings, most of the leaders of the party were released from jail including former joint secretary general Maulana Mamunul Haque, former finance secretary Munir Hossain Kashemi, and Mahmudul Hasan Gunobi.

Hefazat-e-Islam has been giving statements demanding the withdrawal of cases and the release of its leaders. Surprisingly, the party announced tough programmes at the National Ulema Mashayekh Conference in the capital on October 25 to meet their demands. They also warned the government that tougher programmes will be announced later if their demands are met by November 30.

@ The article was published on print and online versions of The Bangladesh Pratidin on October 15, 2023, and has been rewritten in English by Golam Rosul.