US urged to declare Hefazat extremist

Six organisations including Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the United States have recently sent a memorandum to the US State Secretary Antony John Blinken to declare Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh an extremist organisation.

A press release issued by the Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee on Friday said that the New York unit of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, the USA Bangabandhu Parishad, the USA Committee for Secular and Democratic Bangladesh, the USA chapter of Bangabandhu Foundation, the USA chapter of Sector Commanders’ Forum, and the Bangladesh Liberation War Veterans, USA sent the memorandum on April 7.

The memorandum claimed that though the Hefazat leaders claimed the organisation was a religious one all their activities were similar to that of the Taliban and the ISIL.

Referring to recent attacks at places in Bangladesh carried out by Hefazat, the statement alleged that Hefazat was trying to take ground in the politics of the country through their ‘extremist activities’ by using the name of religion.

“The Islamic outfit claims itself to be a non-political Islamic Advocacy group. But its ideology and activities are reminiscent of those of the Taliban and ISIL,” the memorandum said.