Four Hefajat leaders on police remand
Four Hefajat-e-Islam leaders were placed on remand yesterday in seven cases filed with police stations in the capital and Chattogram over the 2013 mayhem and the recent violence in Dhaka and Chattogram.
The leaders are: Azizul Haque Islamabadi, organising secretary of Hefajat's now dissolved committee; Maulana Jubair Ahmed, former vice-president of its Dhaka city unit, and Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed, former assistant general secretary, and Mufti Harun Izhar, education and cultural affairs secretary of the dissolved central committee.
Azizul was put on remand for seven days in two cases filed with the capital's Paltan Police Station over March 26 violence centring the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Jubair was in a six-day remand in two cases filed with Paltan and Motijheel police stations over the 2013 mayhem and the recent violence in Dhaka.
Jalal was placed on a three-day remand in one of the cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the recent violence in Dhaka.
Metropolitan Magistrate Masud-Ur-Rahman passed the remand orders after investigators produced the three before his court with 24-day remand prayers for them in three cases.
The three were produced before the court on completion of their different terms of remand in three cases filed with Motijheel and Paltan police stations over the 2013 mayhem in Dhaka.
Azizul was shown arrested yesterday in six more cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the 2013 mayhem.
In Chattogram, the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Helal Uddin granted a three-day remand for Mufti Harun in three cases filed over Hefajat's 2013 and the recent violence after a seven-day remand was sought for him, said Chattogram Court's Inspector Humayun Kabir.
"Besides, Mufti Harun was shown arrested in two more cases," he added.
A total of 10 cases were lodged with Hathazari police against 100 Hefajat leaders and BNP men, including Hefajat chief Junayed Babunagari, over the March 26 violence, while over 6,000 unidentified persons were sued in the cases. Four, including three madrasa students, were killed during the clash there.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker from Brahmanbaria-3 mentioned in his case statement that gunpowder, firearms, and various combustible materials were used during Hefajat mayhem in the district from March 26 to 28.
On Saturday evening, lawmaker RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, also president of Brahmanbaria Awami League, lodged a case against the Qawmi madrasa-based organisation's Brahmanbaria district President Maulana Sazedur Rahman and General Secretary Mufti Mubarakullah under the Digital Security Act.
On behalf of the lawmaker, Abdul Jabbar Mamun, law secretary of Brahmanbaria municipal unit AL, filed the case with Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station for spreading propaganda against the lawmaker through Facebook.
Mohammad Shahjahan, inspector (investigation) of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, said the Facebook links mentioned in the complaint have been sent to the Criminal Investigation Department for investigation.
Additional SP Md Roish Uddin said a letter was sent to CID in Dhaka to investigate whether there are any anti-state or provocative posts. Legal step will be taken after getting the probe report.
[Our staff correspondent in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria correspondent contributed to this report]