Hefazat rampage: 2 imams held for spreading rumors

Police have arrested two imams for spreading rumours using the microphones in the nearby mosques during the violence carried out by Hefazat-e-Islam last month in Brahmanbaria.

The two arrestees are Imam Delwar Hossain of Ghatura Bangabandhu High School Jama Mosque and Imam Iqbal Hossain of Ghatura Harinadi Jama Mosque in Brahmanbaria Sadar Upazila.

Along with the imams, police have arrested four others in connection with the clashes and vandalism of Hefazat supporters from different parts of the district between Saturday morning to Sunday morning.

The number of arrests in 55 cases filed for causing the mayhem now stands at 359, the district police said in a press release.

Forty-nine cases have been filed with Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, four with Ashuganj Police Station, and two with Sarail Police Station.

There are 414 named accused in these cases and more than 35,000 unnamed accused.

On 27 March, at least five people were killed and around 50 others, including 25 cops, injured in clashes between members of law enforcement agencies and locals during Hefazat's demonstrations at Nandanpur of Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.

They had staged the protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

The next day, during Hefazat's countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal protesting police action on their anti-Modi processions in Dhaka, Chattogram, and other districts, activists set fire to three buildings, including the land office in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.