Hefajat delegation meets with home minister over crackdown on top leaders
Nurul Islam Jihadi (C), secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam convening committee arrives in front of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan s residence in the capital on May 5. Photo: Collected
Star Digital Report
Star Digital Report
A delegation of Hefajat-e Islam held a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at his residence in the capital to negotiate the ongoing crackdown on its top leaders following the recent violent activities of the Qawmi-madrasa based organisation.
Led by Nurul Islam Jihadi, secretary general of the convening committee of Hefajat, the 10-member delegation of the organisation entered the Home Minister s residence around 9:30pm tonight. The meeting lasted for more than two hours and ended around 12:00am.
The Daily Star has obtained a copy of Hefajat s 4-point demand.
Apart from release of arrested leaders and religious-minded people, the Hefajat leaders also demanded an end to what they termed as the ongoing harassment of religious-minded people across the country.
They also demanded withdrawal of cases filed in connection with Hefajat s mayhem in Dhaka s Shapla Chattar in 2013 as per an earlier discussion.
The other demand is the immediate reopening of Qawmi madrasas.
After the meeting, Nurul Islam Jihadi told reporters that the home minister had told them that their demands would be considered.
Under pressure due to the ongoing crackdown on its top leaders, the Hefajat leaders called on the home minister in a bid to come to a consensus over the arrest of its leaders and to free them from jails, sources said.
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Nurul Islam Jihadi, secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam convening committee, talks to media after a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan at the latter s residence in the capital on May 5. Photo: Collected Staff Correspondent Staff Correspondent
Hefajat-e-Islam last night demanded release of Ulema and religious-minded general people who were arrested over violence by the Islamist organisation in March during demonstrations protesting Indian Prime Minister Narandra Modi s visit to Bangladesh.
A 10-member Hefajat delegation, led by Secretary General of its convening committee Nurul Islam Jihadi, put four-point demand to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan during a meeting with him at his city residence.
Up against wall, Hefajat seeks to back down thedailystar.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thedailystar.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Irked by Hefajat s violent activities starting with the protest against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi s visit last month, the government has decided to bring to book everyone involved in the mayhem in different parts of the country, especially Brahmanbaria.
To ensure punishment of the perpetrators and to properly collect evidence of the Hefajat-e-Islam s mayhem at different times including at the capital s Shapla Chattar in May 2013, law enforcers on Sunday handed over the charge of investigation of over 23 cases to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Meanwhile, in an apparent bid to come to an understanding about the recent arrest of several of its top leaders, a delegation of Hefajat held a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at the latter s residence in the capital last night.