The government yesterday requested Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Shah Ahmad Shafi to make sure that none of his activists would take part in the opposition’s Dhaka March programme.
Major General Mia Md Jainul Abedin, military secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, made the request as he met Shafi at his office, a central leader of the organisation told the Dhaka Tribune preferring not to be named.
As the Hefazat is not a political party it has given no instruction to its activists to join any political programmes, another senior leader of the Islamist organisation quoted Shafi as having said to the PM’s military secretary.
Many people from the Hefazat belong to different political parties and if they join the programme the organisation has nothing to do, Shafi added.
Around 11am, Jainul Abedin went to Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Madrasa at Hathazari in Chittagong to meet Shafi, Moulana Munir Ahmed, press secretary to Shafi, confirmed to the Dhaka Tribune.
Chittagong district administrator MA Salam was present during the two-hour-long meeting, he said.
Hefazat-e Islam Secretary General Junaid Babunagri, Joint Secretary Moulana Mainuddin Ruhi, and central Publicity Secretary and Shafi’s son Anas Madani were also present at the meeting.
Earlier, Shah Ahmed Shafi, chief of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, in an open letter issued yesterday urged the government to stop “farce” in the name of election as “none” was accrediting it as an election.
“As the parliament is still active, amend the constitution through convening parliament session to ensure an election with the participation of all parties,” he said adding that otherwise Hefazat would also take to the street in association with the general people.