The government is ready to tackle Hifazat-e Islam if it tries to create chaos under the guise of a rally, the Home Minister has said.
Leaders of Hifazat on Oct 27 announced nationwide protest rallies for Nov 1 and a mass rally at Hathazari College ground the next day and rallies in all divisional cities by Nov 15.
They were demanding that the government refrain from enacting the Kaomi Education Act and implement the outfit’s 13-point charter of demand that include a ban on public mixing of men and women and capital punishment for ‘atheist’ bloggers.
There are news reports that the Chittagong-based radicals plan to hold a rally in Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar on Nov 15.
Hifazat supporters had unleashed mayhem at this very site, the capital’s commercial hub, on May 5 during its mass rally and indefinite sit-in.
Supporters vandalised state-owned banks and set fire to CPB’s office. Numerous makeshift stores, adjoining Baitul Mukarram, were set on fire. The supporters even attacked reporters covering the programme.
Police, RAB and BGB had later evicted the Hifazat supporters from Motijheel in a night raid.
Meanwhile, 18-Party alliance has called yet another 60-hour nationwide strike starting from Monday 6am. The BNP has been for long campaigning to have polls under a neutral non-party government.
“We will firmly deal if BNP tries to resort to mayhem in the name of a strike,” the Home Minister said to reporters while inaugurating a regional passport office at Habiganj’s Shohortoli on Saturday.
He welcomed the proposal for non-party government from Sushashoner Jonne Nagorik (Sujan) saying, “We will consider it. We expect more proposals from various platforms.” – bdnews24.com
