News Desk :
A case has been filed against 36 people, including the Hefajat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General, Mamunul Haque over the death of Allama Shah Ahmed Shafi, the rector of Hathazari Madrasa and former chief of Hefazat-e-Islam terming his death as “pre-planned murder.”
Md Mainuddin, Shafi’s brother-in-law, filed the case in Chattogram Judicial Magistrate-3 court at around 12pm on Thursday accusing them.
Maulana Nasir Uddin Munir, Mir Idris, Habib Ullah, Ahsan Ullah, Azizul Haque Islamabadi, Zakaria Noman Foyezi, Nuruzzaman Nomani, Abdul Matin and Mohammad Shahidullah were among the other accused.
Taking it into cognisance, the court of Shiblu Kumar Dey ordered Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate the case and submit its report in one month.
Plaintiff’s lawyer Abu Hanif said that that the case was filed on the charge of premeditated torture and murder of Ahmed Shafi. The court directed PBI to investigate, he added.
Hefazat chief Shafi died while being treated at a hospital in Dhaka on September 18, a day after stepping down as the director general of the Hathazari madrasa in Chattogram.
The 104-year old Islamic scholar had long been suffering from various old-age complications, including diabetes and high blood pressure.
Meanwhile, followers of late Shah Ahmad Shafi and former leaders of Hefajat-e-Islam alleged that Hefazat’s present Amir Junayed Babunagari was responsible for the 2013 incident at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka.
They said this at a discussion on the life and works of Ahmad Shafi, former amir of the Qawmi-madrasa based Islamist outfit, at the Chittagong Press Club on Thursday.
At the discussion, Salimullah, a former joint secretary general of Hefazat, said that Babunagari, who was secretary general in 2013, kept the Hefazat men at Shapla Chattar overnight without informing the-then Amir Shah Ahmad Shafi.
“His idea was that if Hefazat men could take up position at Shapla Chattar overnight, a situation would be created prompting the army to take to the streets,” he said.
“Babunagari will have to take full responsibility for the incident that took place on May 5, 2013 at Shapla Chattar. The meeting was supposed to end by 6:00pm. Even Ahmad Shafi wanted to end the programme by 6:00pm. But Babunagari spoke in favour of staying there overnight.”
Salimullah also said that Babunagari had influenced Shafi by saying that students from madrasas all over the country were coming to Shapla Chattar and the army would take to the streets if they could stay overnight. Babunagari then changed his decision without informing Ahmed Shafi, but Shafi did not say anything about it.
He said prolonging the stay was Babungari’s personal decision.
Former joint secretary general of Hefazat Faizullah, while speaking at the event, complained that Ahmad Shafi did not die a natural death.
Hefazat’s former Joint Secretary General Mainuddin Ruhi said that Babunagari disrespected Ahmed Shafi before his death by asking why Shafi was not yet dead and by asking when he would become the Amir.
Ruhi also said Babunagari had cheated Hefazat. “You are a big cheater. You say one thing inside the room but talk differently when you go outside,” he said.
Mentioning that Babunagari had joined hands with many banned and controversial organisations in the country, he said, “I will reveal all those in time. Then you won’t be able to sustain this.”
He claimed that 22 relatives of Babunagari were given berth in the new 151-member committee of Hefazat formed in November 15, including his son-in-law and cousins.
Ruhi also demanded that the current committee of Hefazat be dissolved and a new committee be formed with participation of all.
