Police chief Benazir Ahmed yesterday said names of those who incited the Hefajat attacks will come up in the investigation into the incidents. 

"Cases have been filed against those who carried out the attacks at the scenes. The names of instigators will come up … ." the inspector general of police told reporters when asked why top Hefajat leaders have not been sued.

"We don't want to do anything in haste and end up with a controversy. Criticisms start to pour in even when we're just doing our job."

The aim of the attacks was to taint the golden jubilee celebration of Bangladesh's independence, he opined.

Hefajat leaders used thousands of innocent madrasa students to attack government facilities.

"All the records of a land office were burnt … People of the region will suffer for years."

The IGP said several policemen were critically injured in the attacks in Brahmanbaria and Hathazari of Chattogram.

A team of officers from Police Headquarters led by the IGP will visit Brahmanbaria today.

Hefajat-e-Islam activists were demonstrating at Baitul Mukarram in the capital on Friday against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when a clash occurred between them and police and ruling party men.

As soon as the news spread, the students of Hathazari madrasa in Chattogram began a demonstration during which four students were shot dead by what Hefajat said was police shooting.

Around the same time, another activist got killed in a clash with law enforcers in Brahmanbaria.

The Islamist organisation then called for demonstrations on Saturday and hartal on Sunday protesting the deaths.

Hefajat activists vandalised vehicles, blocked roads and attacked government facilities in different districts in the following days. But only a handful of people from the Islamist organisation were accused in cases filed over the violence.

The reported death toll reached 13 in three days. Hefajat claims at least 17 of its members got killed, and over 500 injured.