Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh’s head Shah Ahmad Shafi has cleared any confusion that arose after recent news reports questioned the organisation’s unity.
In a statement issued on Monday Shafi said: “We have neither dropped any leader from the committee, nor was anyone expelled from the organisation at the conference held at Babunagar madrasa at Fatikchharhi two days back.”
The central committee is functional said the statement adding that: “We have just formed a central Shura committee and a sub-committee at the conference to mobilise organisational activities.”
After a conference in Fatikchharhi on Saturday, Hefazat leaders told reporters that joint secretaries of the organisation Mufti Fayez Ullah and Mainuddin Ruhi had been dropped from the central committee.
Shafi said that “anti-Islamic and atheist forces” had been spreading propaganda to confuse people to prevent “greater unity and headway of Hefazat.”
He urged Islamic scholars and devoted Muslims to unite and defy such propaganda.
Shafi who is also the chief of Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Muinul Islam (Hathazari madrasa), condemned a reported ban by Brac University on students wearing the “Niqab”. He urged that punitive measure should be taken against those responsible.
The private university, however, denied the allegation it had banned any student on the basis of religious grounds but action was taken for not following the university’s official dress code.