Police detain 2 Hefazat leaders over B'baria mayhem

Police have arrested Maulana Gazi Yakub Osmani, 44, assistant publicity secretary of the recently dissolved central committee of Hefazat-e-Islam, and Maulana Syed Kashem, 30, general secretary of the Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila branch of Bangladesh Khelafat Chhatra Andolan, in connection with riots in Dhaka and Brahmanbaria which took place between March 26 and 28.  

On Thursday, a special Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station team arrested Kashem from Chhankhola village in Gazipur union of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj, and Osmani from Feni district, town.

Confirming both arrests, Brahmanbaria Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Crime), Mohammad Raich Uddin, said both Kashem and Yakub Osmani led the violence incited by Hefazat-e-Islam in Brahmanbaria district and in different parts of the country from March 26 and 28.

Both will be shown arrested in multiple cases, added Raich.

Activists and supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam staged a massive protest in Brahmanbaria from March 26 to 28 against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh. They attacked, vandalised, and set fire to several public and private establishments. 

At least 11 people were killed in three days of clashes with law enforcement agencies. All told, 55 cases have been filed with 414 named accused and more than 35,000 unnamed accused. As of Saturday, police have arrested 398 people.