Ehsanul Haque Jasim :
Hefazat-e-Islam, the Chhittagong-based Islamic parties’ platform has been split into two factions over political stand. The two factions will observe May 5 separately.
Dhaka city unit of Hefazat-e-Islam will hold a rally at Baridhara Madrasah in the city tomorrow (Monday) in memory of those, who were
killed during the Shapla operation. Maulana Waliullah Arman, leader of a faction, confirmed it to The New Nation. But the other faction of the platform won’t join the rally.
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan announced that it would bring out a procession from the Shapla Chattar at 11:00 AM on the day, demanding fair investigation into the Shapla operation. The party Secretary General Maulana Jafrullah Khan said that they had asked the party men to gather at Lalbagh Madrasah by 9:00 AM for marching towards the Shapla Chattar at Motijheel.
The two factions will observe the day in Chittagong and some other parts of the country separately, sources said.
Hefazat-e-Islam arranged a grand rally at Shapla Chattar in the city on May 5 in 2013 to press home its 13-point demand. The Hefazat men were continuing the programme even after nightfall beyond the schedule time. The government then used police and other forces to disperse them that cost 11 lives. But Hefazat leaders say that the death toll will be much bigger.
