Staff Reporter :
Police have arrested Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque around 12.45pm Sunday from Jamia Rahmania Madrasa in capital’s Mohammadpur area.
Confirming the matter to media, Tejgaon division Deputy Commissioner Harun Ar Rashid said, “Mamunul has been arrested in a vandalism case filed with Mohammadpur police station.”
In a briefing after the arrest, Harun-Ar-Rashid said, “The police found Mamunul’s involvement while investigating a case of vandalism filed in 2020. We have got clear evidence of his involvement and he has admitted it. Mamunul was accused by name in the case.”
The police official further said Mamunul was under observation due to his recent speeches inciting violence and attempts to destabilise peace across the country. When asked about Mamunul’s involvement with Shapla Chattar incident in 2013, the DMP Commissioner said, “You have seen that he made provocative remarks at Shapla Chattar and recently Hefazat supporters in different parts of the country have caused mayhem targeting government offices at his instigation.”
“His connection with all those incidents of violence is being investigated. There are many cases against him filed with other police stations as well,” he added.
He noted that the Hefazat leader will be presented to court tomorrow.
Mamunul Haque was staying at the madrasa after the Sonargaon resort incident. A team of Tejgaon police, led by Harun Ar Rashid arrested Mamunul.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Khilafat Majlis warned of tougher movement, demanding the release of Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque.
In a statement to the media, leaders of the organisation said they would announce tougher programmes if Mamunul, also the acting secretary-general of Khilafat Majlis, was not released immediately.
They said that an unstable situation is being created in the country by harassing and arresting clerics and common people in the month of Ramadan.
The statement called on the government to stop harassing and arresting the leaders and release the detainees unconditionally.
Otherwise, the scholars and Ulamas will be forced to give a united and strict action, the statement said.
On 6 April, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Deputy Commissioner Syed Nurul Islam said police will arrest Mamunul Haque if he is found involved in recent mayhem from 26-28 March in Dhaka, Chattogram, Brahmanbaria and other parts of the country.
Earlier on 5 May in 2013, thousands of leaders and activists of Islamist group Hefazat clashed with members of law enforcement agencies and ruling Awami League men. The clash turned Motijheel and Paltan areas into battlefields. A total of 83 cases were filed accusing 3,416 named and 84,796 unnamed people over the mayhem.
