Hefazat-e-Islam on Thursday alleged the government had wrongly portrayed the explosion in a madrassa in Chittagong as part of a plan to implement Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s statement that the number of Qawmi madrasa students should be reduced.
Hefazat’s Organising Secretary Azizul Hoque Islamabadi made the statement at a press conference in a community centre near the Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia madrasa in Chittagong’s Hathazari area.
Azizul Hoque said: “No trace of grenade was found after the explosion took place in the madrasa in the morning; but police claimed they had recovered hand-made grenades when they inspected the spot in the evening.”
“However, police failed to produce the grenades they had claimed to have found,” he alleged.
He added: “It was a plot by the higher authorities to spread propaganda against Hefazat and the madrasa.”
Azizul claimed the incident was merely a result of IPS and gas stove explosions.
He also claimed that vested interests had staged the incident because they wanted to grab the large property that the madrasa onwed.
On Monday, a massive explosion rocked the Jamiatul Uloom Al-Islamia Madrassa in Lalkhan Bazar in the port city, leaving at least four people critically injured and one dead.
The Qawmi madrassa was run by the senior nayeb-e-ameer of Hefazat, Mufti Izharul Islam.
Police recovered four hand grenades and a large number of explosive-making materials from the madrasa dormitory. Two cases were filed, accusing 12 persons, including Mufti Izhar and Harun, in connection with the blast.
