Staff Reporter :
Hefazat-e-Islam on Monday observed the first anniversary of ‘May-5 operation in Motijheel Shapla Chattar’ by holding divided programme.
A group of Hefazat men under the banner of Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan tried to bring out a procession from the Shapla Chattar in the morning. But police intercepted them at the gate of Kamrangairchar Madrasah in the city and foiled their move to march towards the Shapla Chattar. Police said that the Hefazat had no permission for holding any programme there.
Earlier in the day, the Hefajat men held a rally on the said madrasa premises
and demanded immediate implementation of their 13-point demands. Alleging the ruling party and government for the Shapla killing, they also demanded trial of the incident.
Another group of the Hefazat men held a rally at Baridhara Madrasah in memory of those who were killed in the Shapla operation. Maulana Noor Hossain Quashemi, Convener of Dhaka city unit of Hefazat-e-Islam, chaired the programme. He demanded withdrawal of all cases filed against the Hefazat men after eviction on May last year. Alleging that the government is conducting propaganda against Hefazat chief Maulana Shah Ahmed Shafi, Quashemi also demanded end to the propaganda.
Several other programme were organised in Dhaka, Chittagong and some other parts separately to mark the day. Islami Oikya Jote will hold a rally at Lalbagh Madrasah in the city today (Tuesday).
The 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. But it ended after midnight when the law enforcers took stern action. Hefazat claimed that thousands of their members were killed on this operation while the government said that the number of casualties was 11.
