Mayhem in Dhaka: Another top Hefajat leader arrested

Police arrested Vice-president of Hefajat-e-Islam's Dhaka city unit Maulana Jubair Ahmed from his house in the capital yesterday.

Maulana Jubair became the third Hefajat leader who was held, after the arrests of Mufti Sharifullah, central assistant organising secretary, on Tuesday, and Shakhawat Hossain, central assistant secretary general, on Wednesday.

Asaduzzaman, deputy commissioner (Motijheel division) of Detective Branch of police, confirmed Jubair's arrest to The Daily Star.

Jubair was involved in the recent incidents of Hefajat mayhem and also involved in the 2013 mayhem in Dhaka, the police official said.

"We are taking legal action against Jubair," he added.

A DB official said they were looking into the cases filed against him and would produce him before the court today in connection with one of those.

The recent spate of violence from the Qawmi madrasa-based organisation erupted during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh and the subsequent hartal called by Hefajat on March 28.

On May 5, 2013, thousands of members of Hefajat, a Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation, clashed with law enforcers and ruling AL men, turning Motijheel and Paltan areas into battlefields.

A total of 83 cases were filed in seven districts, including in Dhaka, accusing 3,416 named and 84,796 unnamed people. Many of the accused were from Hefajat, Jamaat-e-Islam and the BNP.

Police have pressed charges in 18, and gave final reports in two other cases. Investigations of 62 others have been stalled.

Recently, police officials were directed to complete the investigations within upcoming one or two months, said officials.