Consequences of Hefazat Mayhem across Bangladesh
The extreme communal force Hefazat-e-Islam has been in the public eye since their violent protest against the Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to Dhaka. They have spread out nationwide mayhem from 26 March and the consequences of their actions are coming out as well.
Police on Sunday night arrested three people in connection with a case filed over attacking Aruail Police camp in Brahmanbaria's Sarail upazila on 27 March.
The arrestees are- Abdus Sattar, a BNP member of Pakshimul union in Sarail upazila, Jobayer and Sanaullah, both from Aruail village.
Brahmanbaria Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Sarail Circle) Anisur Rahman confirmed the matter and said that the trio was involved in the procession and violence in Brahmanbaria's Sarail upazila on 27 March where 25 policemen, including Sarail Police Inspector and some members of Armed Police Battalion (APBn), were injured in the attack.
Anisur Rahman said that they have been identified through video footages. He also said that an operation is underway to arrest others involved in the incident.
On the other hand, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, central organising secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, has reportedly been missing since Sunday.
Mir Idris, central joint-organising secretary, told The Business Standard that Azizul could not be traced since he left for Chattogram after attending a meeting at Hathazari Madrasa.
Islamabadi's younger brother, Md Irfan told TBS that the Hefazat leader's mobile phone remained switched off since he went missing, but around 3 am it was active for a while. But no one answered the phone when they called.
Even after 18 hours of their disappearance law enforcement agencies have not been able to find any clue, said Irfan. However, Chattogram Additional Superintendent of Police (South) Afruzul Haque Tutul told The Business Standard, "We did not know about the matter. So far no complaint has been lodged in this regard."
Then in the capital, members of Rapid Action Battalion arrested four leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam from Jurain area in connection with attack and vandalism in a resort of Narayanganj's Sonargaon upazila on 3 April.
The arrestees are- Maulana Iqbal, Maulana Mohiuddin, Maulana Shahjahan Shibli and Maulana Moazzem, all of whom were handed over to Sonargaon Police Station.
As per government accounts, 14 people, 10 in Brahmanbaria and four in Chattogram, were killed in the three days of violence inflicted by Hefazat-e-Islam. Hefezat claimed the number of deaths to be more than 17.
The Islamist group locked into sporadic clashes with law enforcement agencies from 26 March in Chattogram, Brahmanbaria, Dhaka and Narayanganj during their protests and hartal over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bangladesh visit.
