The chief of Dhaka unit of the Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam yesterday said they have postponed the organisation’s grand rally scheduled for today at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel. Central Hefazat leaders, however, said they would continue their efforts to hold the rally.
“Though all the preparations are complete, we are cancelling tomorrow’s rally because we have not been given permission,” Hefazat Dhaka unit Convener Nur Hossain Quashemi told a press conference at a Baridhara madrasa in the capital.
Meanwhile, Chittagong police yesterday allegedly barred Shah Ahmed Shafi, the ameer (chief) of Hefazat, from going to Dhaka to attend the grand rally.
Azizul Hoque Islamabadi, the organising secretary of Hefazat, said police intercepted Shafi and Hefazat Secretary General Junaid Babunagari at the gate as they stepped out from the Hathazari Madrasa around 11am. He said the leaders went back into the madrasa following the incident.
Later, Hefazat chief’s Press Secretary Munir Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune that they would try until the last moment to hold the rally. “We will not engage in any clashes. The government has been provoking us to come to a confrontation,” he alleged.
Regarding the announcement of the Dhaka unit leaders, he said no such announcement had been made by the Dhaka unit leaders.
“A section of the media has distorted their statements,” he claimed.
“The Dhaka unit of our organisation will try to hold the grand rally, even if the central leaders cannot attend it,” he said. “We will announce tougher programmes if the government does not allow us to hold the programme eventually,” Ahmed said.
Hefazat, a Qawmi madrasa-based Islamist organisation, had called the December 24 rally weeks ahead of the January 5 national elections, amidst ongoing agitation programme of the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance.
Mohammed Ismail, the officer-in-charge of Hathazari police station, said police had only requested Hefazat leaders Shafi and Babunagari to refrain from heading towards Dhaka, and that they had complied with the request.
“We requested them not to head towards Dhaka in consideration of their safety during the ongoing blockade programme.” The request had been made on direction from higher authorities, he said.
Local sources said the students of Hathazari Madrasa staged a demonstration after the police intercepted the Hefazat leaders; however, no violent incidents were reported. A huge contingent of law enforcers remained deployed at the area.