Hefazat leaders have blocked highways in Chittagong following the death of Maulana Sohel Chowdhury, 50, a member of the central executive committee of Hefazat-e-Islam, who was run over by a bus in Raozan.
The blockade, ongoing since Wednesday morning in Hathazari, has halted traffic on the Chittagong-Rangamati and Chittagong-Khagrachhari highways.
Since 7am on Wednesday, these two roads have been blocked, causing severe hardship for thousands of school and college students, employees, and pedestrians. As of 10:30am, the blockade was still in effect.
On the ground, traffic has completely stopped at key points on the Rangamati and Khagrachhari roads, including Hathazari bus stand, Hathazari market, Hathazari college gate, and the fire service office. Protesters have been burning tires and chanting slogans while sitting on the roads, paralyzing communication on the Chittagong-Rangamati and Chittagong-Khagrachhari highways.
Maulana Kamrul Islam Kasemi, central youth affairs secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam, said that on Tuesday, Maulana Sohel Chowdhury was run over from behind by a bus on the Chittagong-Rangamati road in the Gohira Shanti Dweep area of Raozan upazila. He died at the scene, and the incident is being described as a planned murder.
He added that immediately after the incident, Hefazat members went to Raozan Highway Police Station with the killer driver, the vehicle, and the body to file a case. The police proposed writing the FIR according to their own version.
The Hefazat leaders did not agree and insisted that it be recorded as a planned murder. The police refused and did not register the case, leading to the ongoing blockade in Hathazari upazila since Wednesday morning.
Earlier, on Tuesday afternoon, the accident occurred in front of Gohira Shanti Dweep in Raozan upazila on the Chittagong-Rangamati road. Although Sohel Chowdhury was born in Sandwip upazila, he had been living with his family for many years in the municipal medical gate area.
Reports indicate that Maulana Sohel, a former muttahim of Kochukhain Ahmadiya Al-Islamia Al-Hikma Madrasa, was riding a motorcycle to Hathazari when a bus struck him from behind, causing serious injuries. Local people rescued him and took him to Chittagong Medical Hospital, where the on-duty doctor declared him dead after examination.
Following the incident, the bus driver, Jane Alam, 40, was arrested by locals and handed over to the police. He is currently in police custody.
Emran Sikder, general secretary of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh Hathazari upazila branch, said that at the time of his death, Maulana Sohel left behind his wife, two sons, and a daughter, along with numerous followers.
Kazi Md Tarek Aziz, additional superintendent of Police (Hathazari Circle), Chittagong, told Bangla Tribune that a Hefazat leader died in a road accident in Raozan. In protest, the road has been blocked in Hathazari. Authorities are trying to resolve the matter through discussions with the protesters.
