Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh on Sunday threatened to hold countrywide rallies on December 24 if the government creates obstruction on the way of holding its planned grand rally at Shapla Square in the city on the day. Central and district leaders of the HIB issued the warning in a joint statement.
The leaders also protested the statements of State Minister for Law Quamrul Islam and State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Haque Tuku and called them to withdraw their statements.
Terming the Hefazat rally non-political one, they said the devotees would raise their voices across the country if any obstruction is created to hold it.
The Hefazat leaders hoped that the government would not make such a mistake whimsically.
They alleged that the government wants to stop practices of Quran and Hadith and announce crusade against Islam by creating obstacles in different Islamic programmes in the pretext of various reasons.
The Hefazat leaders called upon the ulema and devotees to make Shapla Square rally a success.
The signatories to the statement included Hefazat’s neyebe ameer Allama Shah Muhibullah Babunagori, Maulana Noor Hossain Kashemi, Maulana Ahmadullah Ashraf, Hafez Shamsul Alam, Hafez Ahmadullah, Mufti MOzaffar Ahmad, Maulana Tafazul Haque of Habiganj and Maulana Mobarakullah of Brahmanbaria.
Secretary General of HIB Maulana Zonayed Babunagori in a separate statement issued from Hathazari called upon the people to make Tuesday’s Shapla Square rally a success.
He said the rally would be organized demanding stopping political violence, killings, holding of lopsided election, ensuring lives and properties of people and implementation of 13-point demands of the HIB.
“Life and property of people and faiths of Muslims are not saved under present government,” said the Hefazat leader.
He said they would place their statements and demands to the government and pray to the Almighty to be relieved from the present situation.
Meanwhile, convenor of Dhaka city HIB Maulana Noor Hossain Kashemi was taken to RAB headquarters from his Baridhara Madrasha in the afternoon and later he was released.
RAB sources however said that Kashemi was not arrested rather he was taken to the elite force’s headquarters to discuss about January 24 rally Shapla Square.
When contacted, Assistant Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (Media) Yusuf Hossain told The Independent that Hefazat had not yet been given permission to hold its planned rally at Shapla Square on Tuesday. – Staff Reporter
