Hefajat leader Abdul Awal tenders resignation, party says

A nayeb-e-amir of central Hefajat-e-Islam Abdul Awal today allegedly announced his resignation due to a difference of opinion in observing the recent hartal and protest programme.

The Qawmi-madrasa based Islamist outfit on Friday carried out violent protest programmes and unleashed mayhem in different parts of the country, specially Chattogram, Brahmanbaria and Dhaka, to protest the recent visit of Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi to Bangladesh.

Six Hefajat men died in the protests.

The organisation also observed a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on Sunday, where several of their men were killed.

"He (Awal) has announced to resign from Hefajat-e-Islam due to our internal affairs. He had some difference of opinion with the local leaders of Hefajat on observing Hefajat programme," Fazlul Karim Qasemi, a joint secretary general of Hefajat central, told The Daily Star.

"We will sit with him tomorrow over his grievance and to resolve the matter," added Qasemi.

This correspondent couldn't immediately reach Awal for his comments.