Staff Reporter:
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has announced a march towards the Assistant Indian High Commission in Chattogram for Monday to protest alleged conspiracies against Bangladesh.
They will also submit a memorandum to the High Commission at that time.
Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mufti Harun Izhar announced the programme from a protest rally organised demanding capital punishment for the killers of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif and banning of ISKCON in the city’s Shloshahar area on Friday afternoon.
Harun Izhar said, “India and Israel are conspiring together to eliminate Islam from Bangladesh. It has been proven that India is plotting against Bangladesh. On Monday, we will march towards the Indian High Commission in Chattogram.”
“We will coordinate with law enforcement agencies and inform all intelligence agencies beforehand. Our representatives will peacefully march towards the high commission and submit a memorandum from a safe distance,” he added.
He also urged the Hefazat leaders and activists to gather at the Jamiatul Falah National Mosque premises in a disciplined way by 11:00 am.
“We will maintain peace and order on that day. We want to send a smart and mature message to India. We must ensure that India cannot prove us as terrorists,” he warned.
Rejecting ISKCON’s claim of having no involvement with the murder of lawyer Saiful, Harun termed it as a new conspiracy.
He said, “After 5 August, Muslims in Bangladesh had taken all necessary steps to protect their temples. Despite showing such generosity, they killed our brother brutally, and they must answer for this.”
Harun Izhar demanded the banning of ISKCON and all other terrorist organisations, stating that apart from being an organisation, most Hindu groups are implementing India’s agenda in Bangladesh.”
He further disclosed that ISKCON and other organisations have been in contact with Hefazat-e-Islam, But, Hefazat will not engage in talks with any such group unless three conditions are met.
The conditions are- Hindu’s organisations must sever all ties with India; they must clarify their stance regarding the false propaganda against Hindus in Bangladesh, and hand over the terrorist elements within their organisations to the law enforcement agencies.
Earlier, after the Juma prayers, Hefazat-e-Islam brought out a protest procession from the Jamiatul Falah National Mosque and it paraded Wasa and GEC intersections before holding the rally.
They chanted slogans like “We want justice,” “Why is the killer free?” and “Delhi or Dhaka, Dhaka Dhaka” at that time.
The protest rally was chaired by Hefazat Central Nayebe Ameer Ali Osman while Joint Secretary Generals Maulana Nasir Uddin Munir and Mir Idris, Khelafat Majlis Chattogram City unit President Emdad Ullah Sohail, and Secretary Ridwanul Wahed spoke among others.
Tension after Juma prayers
Tension arose between two groups in the city’s Pathorghata area under Kotwali police station after Juma prayers. However, law enforcement quickly brought the situation under control.
According to locals, shortly after the Juma prayers, a group of people gathered in front of the Kalibari Temple. Upon hearing the news, another group also gathered at the same location, resulting in a tensed situation.
Officer in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Abdul Karim of Kotwali police station said on information, members of police and army rushed to the scene.
They brought the situation under control later, he added.
