Hefazat-e-Islami Bangladesh (HIB) on Saturday called upon the government to give permission to hold its rally at Shapla Square on December 24 and the opposition alliance to withdraw its blockade programme on the day.HIB nayebe ameer and convenor of Dhaka city unit of the organisation Maulana Noor Hossain Kashemi made the call at a press conference at Madrasha-e-Jamia Madania at Baridhara.
The HIB leader expressed his vow to organise the rally at any cost demanding the release of their leaders including Mufti Harun Ijhar and Mufti Wakkas, implementation of its 13-point demands and holding trials of killing of innocent people at Shapla Square siege programme in the early hours of May 6.
Hefazat leaders—Maulana Jafrullah Khan, Maulana Abdur Rab Yusufi, Mufti Mahfuzul Haque, Maulana Abul Hasnat Amini and Maulana Mohiuddin Akram, among others, were present on the occasion.
Maulana Kashemi said the HIB does not run any political activity and the ongoing opposition programme and their programme of faith are not the same.
He alleged that the government made the devotees angered by creating obstacles in their each programme.
The HIB leader cautioned that Bangladesh is a country of Islam, Muslim and patriotic people and they would not tolerate any chaotic activities of the atheists in the name of movement.
Meanwhile, 50 thousands ulema in a joint statement on Saturday called upon the government and law enforcing agencies not prevent Hefazat to hold the rally.
Otherwise, they warned that tougher action would be taken to realise their demands.
The signatories to the statement issued by Sommilito Ulema Mashayekh Parishad included Maulana Abdur Rahman, Maulana Noor Uddin, Maulana Shahjalal Kashemi, Maulana Emdadul Haque, Mufti Shafiqullah and Muhammad Mahmudul Hasan. – Staff Reporter
