Bhola Clash: Hefazat-e-Islam to hold nationwide protest today
Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday announced a nationwide protest for today to press home their demands, including punishment of the police personnel “responsible for the death of four people” during Sunday’s clash in Bhola.
“The demonstration will be held after Zohr prayer tomorrow,” Junaid Babunagari, secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam, said at a press conference yesterday at Al Jamiatul Ahliya Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Madrasa premises in Chattogram’s Hathazari.
Their demand also includes punishment of the person who put the hate-post on Facebook and compensation for the families of those who were killed and injured during the clash.
Babunagari warned that a “tough movement will be announced” if those responsible are not punished.
He claimed Hefazat conducted an investigation after the Bhola incident, and found that it was done deliberately by the owner of the Facebook account and that “the account was not hacked”.
“We are forming a five-member probe body to conduct further investigation into the issue,” he added.
His statement, however, contradicted police version as law enforcers found that the youth’s Facebook account had indeed been hacked and detained two persons involved in the hacking.
At yesterday’s press conference, the Hefazat leader said that such an incident would not have occurred had the government accepted their previous 13-point demand that includes death penalty for criticising Islam and its Prophet (PBUH).
At least four people were killed and more than a hundred injured on Saturday as zealots clashed with police in Bhola’s Borhanuddin upazila over a hate-post spread through Facebook and Facebook Messenger.
Meanwhile, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Bangladesh’s Dhaka north and south units yesterday demanded that the government enact blasphemy law to ensure highest punishment to those involved in insulting Islam.
Leaders of the religious group came up with the demand at a protest rally and human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club.
Around 60 leaders and activists from madrasas in the city participated in the programme.
Devotees in the city’s Mohammadpur area yesterday blocked the road in front of Allah Karim Mosque around 10am, protesting the deaths in Bhola and insult of the Prophet (PBUH).
Traffic movement remained interrupted for over two hours until they vacated the area around 12:15pm, police said. The protestors shouted slogans against police and demanded highest punishment of those who insult Islam and the Prophet (PBUH).
BNP TERMS BHOLA INCIDENT ‘PREMEDITATED’
Describing the incident over the Facebook post from a hacked account a “premeditated one”, BNP yesterday demanded a fair investigation into Sunday’s violence in Bhola.
“We think the Bhola incident was a planned one. We demand a fair investigation to unearth the real reasons… and exemplary punishment of those responsible for the incident,” BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said.
Mosharraf, a BNP standing committee member, came up with the remark while speaking at a press conference at the party’s Nayapaltan central office.
Comments