Police have started new investigation into the seven-year-old cases against Hefazat-e-Islam. Police want to submit the chargesheet quickly.
Recently, ministers of the government have also demanded for speedy disposal of the cases.
In May 2013, thousands of Hefazat-e-Islam activists carried out violence in the capital. A total of 63 cases were filed. Three thousand 418 people were named in the cases and 74 thousand 696 people were unnamed accused.
Among the accused are central leaders and activists of
Hefazat-e-Islam, Islami Oikyajot, Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Nezame Islam, Khilafat Majlish, Khilafat Andolan, Jamiat Ulamaye Islam, BNP, Juba Dal and Chhatra Dal. Of these cases, only the case filed in Bagerhat has been settled. There are 72 cases in stalemate.
According to police headquarters source, in 2014, the police filed chargesheets against local leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam, Jamaat and BNP in 15 out of 63 cases. Of the 15 cases, two were filed with Dhaka’s Kalabagan Police Station, one with Ramna, one with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station, six with Bagerhat and five with Narayanganj.
According to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), out of 53 cases registered with the DMP, four have been charged. The remaining 49 cases are under investigation.
At least 40,000 people, including 300 leaders, were charged in the cases. Most of the cases are being investigated by the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DB).
DMP Additional Commissioner (DB) AKM Hafiz Akter told that it was not just Hefazat-e-Islam cases. The pace of investigation in any case may increase at any time. We are investigating the Hefazat-e-Islam cases. He does not want to comment further in the interest of the investigation.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Joint Commissioner (DB) Mahbub Alam said that they are working on them. It is also being investigated whether the accused in these cases are involved in any new agitation.
Maulana Ataullah Amin, Co-Organizing secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, told that a section of people are now influencing the government. They want the government to clash with the ulama of the country. We think that the group is working to create a face-to-face situation. As part of this, it has been decided to bring back the old cases to the fore again.
Hefazat-e-Islam leader further said that those who took a stand against Islam in 2013, and those who are raising the issue of sculpture in various ways, are basically this third party.
We think that some people of this group are inside the government. Now they are trying to take advantage of the situation by creating conflict with us. But the decision of the Ulama is that they will not get involved in any conflict.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “These Hefazat-e-Islam’s cases have been pending for a long time. The cases have to be settled. For this, the final report has to be submitted in the concerned courts. He said it was a routine process and no special instructions were given for it.
Meanwhile, two madrasa teachers and two madrasa students vandalized Bangabandhu’s under-construction sculpture in Kushtia. Police say Maulana Mamunul Haque, the joint secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, and Syed Muhammad Faizul Karim, a Senior Naib-e-Ameer of the Islamic Anodolon of Bangladesh, vandalized the two sculptures.
Muktijuddha Mancha leader Aminul Islam Bulbul has filed a sedition case against three people, including Amir Junaid Babungari of Hefazat-e-Islam, for vandalizing a under-construction sculpture. The court directed the PBI to investigate the allegations and submit a report in the court within the first week of January.
Banaj Kumar Majumder, DIG of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) said, they have not received the documents yet. After getting the instruction, we will start those investigation work.
Meanwhile, A case has been filed against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia, her son Tarique Rahman, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, General Secretary of BNP; Junaid Ahmed Babungari, Acting Chief of Hefazat-e-Islam; Mamunul Haque, joint secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam; and Faizul Karim, Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer of Islami Andolan Bangladesh for allegedly aiding in making anti-sculpture remarks.
AB Siddiqui, President of Jananetri Parishad, filed the case in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder on Wednesday. The court accepted the plaintiff’s statement and said it would issue the order later, AB Siddiqui confirmed.
