8,000 sued over recent mayhem, not a single Hefazat man named

Police have filed six cases against more than 8,000 unknown people over attacks, vandalism, and arson during protests of Hefazat-e-Islam in Dhaka and Brahmanbaria.

Though violent clashes and attacks also took place in Chattogram and Narayanganj, but no case was filed in the districts so far.

The Islamist group locked into sporadic clashes with law enforcement agencies from Friday to Sunday in Chattogram, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka and Narayanganj during their protests and hartal over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh visit.

At least 14 people were killed; hundreds of people were injured, government and private properties were damaged during the clashes across the country. Neither the families of the victims filed any case till now, nor the police mentioned name of any Hefazat man in the cases they filed.

Leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam clashed with police in Hathazari of Chattogram and vandalised a police station on Friday when they were barred from protesting. Five Hefazat men were killed and dozens injured in the clash. 

No case has been filed in Chattogram yet over the clashes, said Additional Police Superintendent Mohammad Jahangir today.

However, on the same day, police lodged a case against 500 to 600 unknown people over sporadic clashes, held between Hefazat men and police, in Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram area. Shamim Hossain, a sub-inspector of Paltan police station filed the case on the night of 26 March.

After Hathazari incident, infuriated Hefazat called for a protest on Saturday and nationwide hartal for Sunday. 

Hefazat men went berserk on both days in Brahmanbaria, Dhaka and Narayanganj. 

Five more Hefazat activists were killed and dozens injured as they clashed with police and BGB members in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila on Saturday during protest. Hefazat men attacked a railway station in the district.

Police on Saturday filed three cases against some 6,500 unknown people over the clashes. 

On Sunday, they turned more violent and fierce, attacked government and private offices, and vandalised buses and trains in some parts of the country during their daylong hartal.

One injured Hefazat men succumbed to his injuries and three more were killed in fresh clashes on the day in Brahmanbaria.

Besides, the transportation sector lost nearly Tk38 crore on Sunday due to the nationwide dawn-to-dusk strike.

Bangladesh Ansar, BGB and University of Brahmanbaria authorities filed two cases against 600 unnamed people on Sunday. 

In a statement, Home Ministry said the government is going to take a strict stance to prevent all kinds of anarchy and secure people's lives and properties.

Protests and clashes erupted across the country between police and Hefajat activists over the past few weeks centring the visit of Narendra Modi.