Is Shamim Osman behind Hefazat’s case against Rafiur Rabbi?

Narayanganj locals suspect cultural activist Rafiur Rabbi is being sued by a leader of radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam at the behest of Awami League lawmaker, Shamim Osman. Shamim is a member of the influential Osman family blamed by Rabbi for the killing of his son, Tanvir Mohammad Twaki, in 2013. Now the Hefazat unit chief for Narayanganj, Ferdaus-ur-Rahman, has accused Rabbi of hurting religious sentiment in a speech he made at an event on April 7. Ferdaus alleges that Rabbi claimed none of the three million martyrs would have participated in the 1971 Liberation War, “had they known the constitution would begin with ‘Bismillah’ and the country would turn into a communal one”. However, Narayanganj Press Club President Mahbubur Rahman Masum said Rabbi did not make any anti-religious comments. “The Osman family has mobilised Hefazat to take down those who demand justice for Twaki,” he said. Sanskritik Jote General Secretary Dheman Saha Jewel also said “a certain quarter” was trying to tarnish Rabbi's image, while Communist Party of Bangladesh leader Hafizul Islam said those who promoted communalism were behind the case. “The Narayanganj 4 MP could be behind this,” Hafizul said, without elaborating. Ferdaus, however, is insisting that nobody asked him to file the case, saying: “… We [Hefazat] have protested against anyone who made defamatory comments about religion.” Shamim has pledged to stage a rally in front of DIT Jame Mosque in Narayanganj Sadar after Jumma prayers on Friday, to protest those who made defamatory comments about “his religion”. “I want to set an example in Narayanganj by bringing everyone on to one platform to protest against those defaming religion. Every party should be a part of this protest – Awami League, BNP, Jaitya Party, Hefazat,” he said at a meeting with local religious scholars and leaders at Narayanganj City Corporation Central Mosque. The Awami League lawmaker also questioned why no one other than Ferdaus – who was present at the April 7 meeting – protested Rabbi's audacity. “Nobody raised a voice against the remark on 'Bismillah'. Only Ferdaus filed a case… not as a Hefazat leader but as a Muslim,” he said. The case was filed on Wednesday and the court has ordered the Detective Branch of police to file a report by May 7. Meanwhile, 66 socio-cultural organisations condemned the lawsuit against Rabbi in separate statements on Thursday, saying Shamim Osman was instigating communal tension.