AL decides to handle Hefajat march peacefully

Against the backdrop of the radical Islamist organisation Hefajat-e-Islam's resolve to go ahead with its long march Friday, some key figures in the ruling Awami League and influential ministers sat in a meeting yesterday about how to tackle the situation.
They decided to handle the heated political situation in a peaceful manner and not to allow any effort to create anarchy, according to sources at the meeting, which took place at the home ministry.
“We can't allow the situation to spill over further,” an influential minister present at the meeting said.
Home Minister Muhiuddin Khan Alamgir said the government had taken an all-out preparation to maintain law and order during the Hefajat-e-Islam long march scheduled to start from Chittagong on Friday.
“We don't have any problem if the long march is held peacefully. But measures will be taken if there is a breakdown of law and order,” he said.
About BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami's support to the long march, he said, “I have heard that the BNP-led 18-party alliance has lent support to the long march. Begum Khaleda Zia and other leaders will have to take the responsibility if any untoward incidents occur.”
The home minister said 11 bloggers who had hurt Islamic sentiment through their writings had been identified. “Four of them have so far been arrested while efforts are on to round up the others,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Deputy Leader of the Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Food Minister Abdur Razzaque, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif, Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan, Forest Minister Hasan Mahmud, State Minister for Law Kamrul Islam, and State Minister for LGRD Jahangir Kabir Nanak attended the meeting.
“We don't believe that the religion-based organisations will create anarchy and harm peace in the name of Islam,” Hanif told reporters, emerging from the meeting.
He said the government was conscious about whether Jamaat-e-Islami had any undercover operatives inside Hefajat-e-Islam.