‘Tougher demos if hartal obstructed’

Hefajat-e-Islam yesterday warned that they would go for tougher movement if the government tries to hinder today's nationwide hartal to be observed in protest of attacks on anti-Modi campaigners.

While addressing a protest rally in front of Baitul Mukarram Mosque in Dhaka, they also said the government would be held responsible in case of any unwarranted situation.

"The government has stained Bangladesh's Independence Day by killing activists of the party during Friday's protest. The deaths of Hefajat activists will be avenged," Hefajat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque said at the rally.

He alleged that ruling party "cadres", wearing helmets, intruded into mosques and attacked worshippers.

"Police accompanied the ruling party men. If we take to the streets, the ruling party men will not be able to escape," he said.

He urged police to act as the protector of people instead of serving any political party.

In a statement yesterday, Hefajat-e-Islam Ameer Junaid Babunagari also vowed to avenge the deaths of its activists, who were shot dead during the clashes with police and ruling party men. The Hefajat chief said the incident of police firing on a peaceful movement can never be accepted.

Several thousand activists of Hefajat-e-Islam yesterday gathered near Baitul Mukarram around noon, protesting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh and Friday's police action in Dhaka, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria.

Prior to the demonstration, police ramped up security measures around the national mosque and surrounding areas centering the protest programme. Members of Rapid Action Battalion were also seen patrolling the area.

Later in the afternoon, at a press conference at Makhjanul Ulum Madrsaha at city's Khilgaon, Hefajat-e Islam called upon their leaders and activists to carry out the dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country today peacefully.

Hefajat Secretary General Nurul Islam urged their activists so that no one engage in any vandalism or arson activities "in the name of Hefajat" during the hartal.

Hefajat leaders said emergency services including hospital, ambulance, vehicles of fire service and newspapers, medicine shops, and restaurants will remain out of purview of the hartal.

Speaking there, Hefajat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque said law enforcement agencies are yet to hand over bodies of four Hefajat men who were killed on Friday at Chattogram's Hathazari.

He demanded that law enforcement agencies hand over the bodies to their family members immediately.

Meanwhile, Islami Andolan Bangladesh expressed full support to the hartal called by Hefajat-e-Islam today. They also called for a protest rally in front of Jatiya Press Club on April 1.

Over two thousand activists of the Islamist party thronged the north gate of the national mosque around 3pm after Hefajat-e-Islam activists moved from there, after staging a rally on the same demands.

They placed six-point demand: suspension of police officers responsible and judicial probe into the killings at Chattogram and Brahmanbaria, suspension of Hathazari Police Station Officer-in-Charge, compensation for families of the slain Hefajat activists and treatment for the injured, release of all arrestees detained over anti-Modi protests and withdrawal of cases against the activists.

It also urged the government to identify ruling party "thugs" who carried out the attacks and bring back the constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and meetings.

Friday's clashes left four agitators dead at Hathazari, Chattogram -- the home base of Hefajat, one in Brahmanbaria, and more than a hundred injured.

After the deadly clashes, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at different parts of the country, including the capital, to keep law and order situation in control.

Besides, police officials were asked to remain alert as police stations might come under attacks.

Meanwhile, a case was filed with Paltan Police Station in the capital over the mayhem that took place at ntional mosque premises on Friday that left around 60 people injured including two Daily Star photojournalists, confirmed Syed Nurul Islam, deputy commissioner of Motijheel Division of police.

While addressing reporters at Paltan intersection, DC Nurul said the case was filed for the attack on police and vandalism in the mosque against unidentified people, but no one was named in the first information report (FIR).

Asked about today's hartal, DC Nurul said their job is to protect public property, and they will be on high alert to ensure security.