Terming the council scheduled for November 15 as illegal and unconstitutional, Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mainuddin Ruhi said the council has been convened to implement the agenda of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir.
“The council is illegal and it has to be stopped immediately as the convener of the council, Muhibullah Babunagari (maternal uncle of Junayed Babunagari), resigned from Hefazat as the Nayeb-e-Ameer in 2016,” said Ruhi, while addressing a press conference on Saturday organized by Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh at Chittagong Press Club.
“Five of the seven joint secretaries general and 23 of the 35 Nayeb-e-Ameers have not been invited to the council,” Ruhi alleged.
The late Shah Ahmad Shafi’s brother-in-law Mohammad Moyeenuddin also urged the Hefazat leaders not to hold any council before the trial of Shafi’s “killing.”
Moyeenuddin said Shafi’s son Anas Madani could not attend the press conference as he was on the run after receiving several death threats.
‘Spectre of Jamaat-Shibir killed Shafi’
Moyeenuddin at the press conference claimed that Shafi was killed by the “spectre” of Jamaat-Shibir at Hathazari Madrasa on September 18.
Also Read- Who is going to take Hefazat’s helm?
Moyeenuddin said he appeared before the media on behalf of his ailing sister and Shafi’s wife Feroza Begum.
Speaking about the student unrest at Hathazari Madrasa just before the death of Shafi, Moyeenuddin said Jamaat-Shibir men, provoking some students, besieged Hathazari Madrasa on September 16.
“Junayed Babunagari used his followers to plunder and vandalize the age-old institution. They even torched some religious scriptures during the rampage.
“They verbally abused and intimidated Shafi and forced him to step down. As a result, Shafi fell ill and went into a coma as his oxygen pipe was repeatedly taken off. The ambulance carrying Shafi was obstructed in a planned way to ensure his death,” Shafi’s brother-in-law alleged.
“Shafi was killed by Jamaat-Shibir in a premeditated way. We, on behalf of his family, demand a proper investigation into his death. We are deeply shocked that no steps have been taken yet. We urge the government to take necessary legal steps after conducting a judicial inquiry,” he said.
Hefazat’s Nayeb-Ameer Abdul Jabbar, Joint Secretary Sarwar Alam and Shafi’s grandson Md Kawsar, among others, attended the press conference.