Madrasa shut over militancy

Al Markajul Islami As-Salafi Madrasa at Nawdapara in the city was closed sine die by its authorities yesterday due to attempts of implanting extremism in students by Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab), a militant outfit led by Asadullah Al Galib.
Galib, arrested in 2005 on charges of militancy and now free on bail, has been sheltering outsiders, many of whom are students of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi College, in madrasa dormitories for last few months, said Principal of the madrasa Abdus Samad Salafi.
These outsiders with assistance from some pro-Galib teachers used to assault students, sometimes the teachers who were not in Galib's favour, said Salafi, adding that they were also engaged in indoctrinating the students to defy madrasa rules and join Ahab.
"Concerned about these men, we made the decision to close the madrasa indefinitely," said Salafi, former Nayeb-e-Amir who resigned from Ahab along with some 48 others in April for the outfit's anti-state activities.
Sources said just before the closure, the Ahab adherents prevented the students from attending a discussion on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a special prayer on the occasion of the national mourning day. Around noon, when the madrasa authorities were about to start the programme, Abdur Razzak Bin Yusuf, a madrasa teacher, kept the students from joining the function.
The students said Razzak told them not to attend the function because Galib does not like Bangabandhu.
The madrasa premises is the property of Touhid Trust, an NGO from where Galib was ousted for financial anomalies, said Salafi, adding, Galib has been occupying a building on the campus that was meant for a medical centre.