Mamunul among 17 Hefazat leaders sued over Baitul Mukarram clashes

This is the first case against Hefazat leaders, filed after several days they caused mayhem in some districts from March 26-28

A case has been filed against Hefazat-e-Islam's Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque and 16 other leaders for the recent violence in Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka.

Dhaka South Jubo League's Deputy Office Secretary Khandaker Arifuzzaman filed the case with Paltan police station on Monday.

The other accused in the case are -- Joint Secretary General Maulana Junaid Al Habib, Joint Secretary General Maulana Lokman Hakim, Joint Secretary General Nasir Uddin Monir, Nayeb-e Ameer Maulana Bahauddin Zakaria, Maulana Nurul Islam Jehadi, Nayeb-e Ameer and Brahmanbaria District Branch President Maulana Sajedur Rahman, Maulana Habibur Rahman, Maulana Khaled Saifullah Ayubi, Maulana Jasim Uddin, Maulana Masudul Karim, Mufti Monir Hossain Qasemi, Maulana Zakaria Noman Fayezi, Maulana Faisal Ahmed, Maulana Mushtaqunnabi, Maulana Hafeez Mohammad Jobayer, Maulana Hafez Mohammad.

Confirming the matter, Assistant Commissioner (Motijheel Zone) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Jahidul Islam said an operation is underway to identify and arrest the accused.

In addition to the 17 people named, the number of unnamed accused in the case is 2,000 – 3,000, the police official added.

According to the case statement, the plaintiff, a businessman by profession, went to the Baitul Mukarram Mosque to offer Jummah prayer around noon on March 26.

After the prayer, he came out of the mosque and saw a huge gathering of thousands of leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir, BNP and Hefazat on the stairs of the north gate outside of the mosque.

They, led by Maulana Mamunul Haque, held secret meetings in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, to create chaos ahead of the grand celebrations of golden jubilee of Bangladesh's Independence and birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Mamunul planned and conspired to create widespread anarchy across the country including Dhaka.

The plaintiff also alleged that leaders and activists of Jamaat- Shibir, BNP and Hefazat, as per the order of Mamunul, carried out an attack on him and other devotees on the premises.

They, under the direct instruction of Mamunul Haque, attacked the plaintiff and others with local and foreign firearms, including knives, axes, swords, hammers, swords, sticks. The plaintiff sustained serious injuries during the attack.

They also set fire on two motorcycles, blocked the roads and looted the shops around the mosque.

The mayhem

Earlier, as many as 20,000 people were accused in numerous cases filed over the series of violent protests by Hefazat in several districts from March 26-28. However, no top Hefazat leaders were named in any of those cases.

On March 26, a group of Hefazat hardliners clashed with the police during protests against Indian Prime Minister Modi’s visit outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka.

The same day, the Islamist group called a daylong general strike across the country for March 28, protesting against the deaths of its members during clashes.

More clashes soon spread like wildfire across the country, leaving hundreds of people injured and many dead. There was also significant damage to government and private property.

A total of 14 Hefazat men – 10 in Brahmanbaria and four in Chittagong – have died in the clashes with law enforcement personnel.