Supporters of Hefazat-e-Islam’s Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque went on the rampage in Narayanganj and vandalised a resort in Sonargaon where he was detained with a woman he claimed as his second wife.   Mahanagar Hefazat’s secretary Ferdausur Rahman said Mamunul went to the resort with his second wife where the local Chatra League and Jubo League leaders confined and harassed him, before calling in the police on Saturday. The woman detained with him is his second wife as claimed by Mamunul Haque, said Ferdausur Rahman. Narayanganj’s Hefazat’s leaders are looking into the matter visiting the scene, he said. Also read: Hefazat's Mamunul detained with woman from resort Later, in the evening madrasa teachers and students gathered in front of the resort and started chanting slogans for freeing Mamunul Haque. At one point they broke down the main gate of the resort and started a massive rampage entering the property. As the situation was getting out of hand, police released Mamunul Haque to the demonstrating madrasa folks. Yet they continued the vandalism at the resort until police released Mamunul Hauque’s wife too around 8 pm. Also read: Hathazari Hefazat-police clash: 2,500 accused in 7 cases  The resort authority claimed they incurred a crore worth of losses in the destruction. Mamunul Hauque calmed down the agitated demonstrators by declaring  legal actions against the involved AL and Jubo League leaders and left the scene with his wife.   The saga of destruction continued yet after as the protestors blocked Dhaka-Chittagong highway vandalized and set fire to local AL office and Jubo League Leader’s vehicle. Narayanganj Police Superintendent Md Jayedul Haque said, police reached the scene being informed of locals confining Maulana Mamunul Haque with a woman in the room of that resort. Also read: Hefazat attack instigators won’t be spread: IGP  As Mamunul Haque claimed the woman was his wife, police safely evacuated him from the resort and kept them under custody.   Sonargaon police station’s inspector (Investigation), Tobidur Rahman at evening confirmed Mamunul Haque being safe in Police’s custody. . Meanwhile Maulana Mamunul Haque threatened to file case against the journalists who were trying to take photograph and video footage of him.

Seven separate cases were filed on Tuesday night over the clash between Hefazat-e-Islam activists and police at Hathazari in Chattogram. Five days after the incident, Hathazari police filed four cases, Patia police filed one and Hathazari land office filed two. The cases accused 2,500 people, none of them named, for attack on police station, vandalism of land office, arson, obstruction of police work and assaulting on-duty policemen. Also read: Four killed in clashes with cops in Chattogram Hathazari circle ASP Mosiudoula Reza said they would identify the suspects through investigation. Hathazari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Ruhul Amin said, “Students of the madrasa have caused irreparable damage to the people of Hathazari by setting fire to the land office.” Hefazat activists protested against the arrival of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh on March 26. They also attacked Hathazari Police Station and vandalised it. Also read: Hefazat’s day-long hartal ends amid violence, clashes Five people, including several Hefazat activists, were killed when police opened fire. Later, the protesters set fire to the Hathazari Upazila Land Office and two cars.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Tuesday accused the government of creating an unbecoming situation in the country by instigating the communal forces. “The government is carrying out a false campaign that we’ve supported Hefazat and fundamentalists, and we’re instigating them from behind the scene to create a communal problem in the country,” he said. The BNP leader said, “I would like to clearly say it’s not BNP, but the government has instigated them (Hefazat and fundamentalists), and created such a situation in the country.” He made the remarks while speaking at a press conference at BNP chairperson’s Gulshan office. The BNP leader said Hefazat activists wanted to bring out a normal procession from Baitul Mukarram Mosque on Friday, but police attacked them at the north gate while the ‘ruling party cadres’ at the south gate of the mosque, leaving many people injured. He said the Hefazat activists were killed at Hathazari in Chattogram the same way as police attacked a peaceful procession of the organisation and opened fire on its activists. Fakhrul said the government has opened a stigmatised chapter on the Independence Day by shedding the blood of people in Dhaka, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria by unleashing law enforcers and Awami League cadres when the nation was celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Independence. He said their party tried to register its protest against the bloodletting and killing through holding protest rallies in the metropolitan cities Monday in district towns on Tuesday, but police and the ruling party men attacked BNP leaders and activists at different parts of the country. Fakhrul condemned the police attacks on BNP leaders and workers during their party’s two-day peaceful programme. He said their party tried to peacefully hold their programmes in protest against the killing of at least 15 people in the country over the last few days. “But our programme has no relation with Hefazat.” The BNP leader alleged that ruling party leaders and some media are trying to give their party’s programmes a different colour involving it with Hefazat.

After a daylong countrywide shutdown, Hefazat-e-Islam on Sunday announced doa mahfil for Monday and demonstration programmes on April 2 (Friday) seeking justice for its activists killed during Friday and Saturday’s clashes with police. “We’ll hold special prayers on Monday and stage nationwide protest on Friday,” Hefazat Secretary General Nurul Islam Zihadi announced at a press briefing in Dhaka. The group is calling for punishing policemen involved in shooting incidents in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria during the group’s anti-Modi protests that left at least nine people dead, including  several Hefazat activists.  It is also pressing for the release of its supporters arrested during the clashes. Also read: Hefazat’s day-long hartal ends amid violence, clashes “We’ll intensify our agitation if our demands are not met by next Friday,” Zihadi said. Hefazat called for the shutdown protesting against, what it called “police action” on their ‘anti-Modi’ processions in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts. The group also held nationwide demonstrations on Saturday during which clashes with police left at least five people dead in Brahmanbaria. Also read: Hefajat hartal: 25 hurt, 4 detained in Habiganj, Sylhet Sunday’s hartal ended with reports of sporadic clashes across the country. On Friday, four people were killed and at least 15 others were injured in a clash between Hefazat supporters and police at Hathazari in Chattogram. Police opened fire after a group of protestors attacked the Hathazari thana compound, Hathazari land office and set fire to a vehicle. Also read: Hartal: 30 hurt during clash with cops in Narayanganj On the same day, at least 50 people, including several journalists, were injured in a clash between Muslim devotees and police in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area. Clashes erupted when police barred people from bringing out a procession after Jum’a prayers protesting against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh.

The nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal, enforced by Hefajat-e-Islam, passed off on Sunday amid sporadic incidents of clashes, vandalism, arson attacks and roads blockades at different parts of the country. However, the hartal that began around 6am and ended at 6pm had little impact on the everyday life of people in the capital, except the low presence of public vehicles on the city streets. Rickshaws dominated the streets of the capital as usual. A large number of law enforcers remained deployed at important city points to fend off any trouble. Only a few long-distance buses left Dhaka for different districts while the train service was normal with poor presence of passengers. Hefazat activists brought out processions in the capital's different areas, including Jatrabari, Paltan, Baitul Mukarram, Lalbagh, Mohammadpur and Basila, in support of the shutdown. Hefazat activists blocked Jatrabari and Signboard in the morning setting fire to tyres.

Traffic movement on Chattogram-Khagrachhari highway remained suspended since Saturday morning as a tense situation has been prevailing at Hathazari in Chattogram since Friday’s clash between Hefazat activists and cops that left four people dead. Local administration and police held two meetings with the authorities of Hathazari Madrasah on Friday night but it ended inconceivably. Local MP Barrister Anisul Islam said local administration assured them of taking steps to investigate the incident and conduct postmortems on the bodies of the deceased. Meanwhile, the authorities concerned of Hathazari Madrasah submitted a six-point demand to the local administration. Also read: Four killed in clashes with cops in Chattogram The demands are the arrest of those involved in the killing immediately, refraining from making attacks on students and people, compensating the families of the deceased, bearing medical expenses of the injured students, bringing those physicians under book who were responsible for the negligence of duty at Chattogram Medical College and Hosptial and suspending officer-in-charge of Hathazari Police Station Rafiqul. Anisul said, “We have heard their demands, some have been fulfilled while steps will be taken regarding the other demands of the students.” Apart from police, Rab and BGB members are patrolling the area for maintaining the law and order. Earlier, four people were killed and at least 15 others injured in clashes between Hefazat-e-Islam activists and police at Hathazari on Friday. Police and witnesses said Hefazat activists brought out a procession after Jum'a prayers protesting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bangladesh visit. At one stage, they took position in front of Hathazari Model Police Station and started throwing brick chips at the law enforcers. Also read: Allama Shafi resigns from Hathazari Madrasa As police tried to disperse the protesters, they engaged in clashes. The agitators attacked the thana compound and Hathazari land office and set fire to a vehicle, forcing the law enforcers to fire teargas shells to bring the situation under control. As police failed to disperse the protestors despite an hour of their efforts, they fired several rounds of bullets, leaving at least 20 people injured. Of the injured, three Hefazat activists and a pedestrian were declared dead after they had been taken to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH). The dead were indentified as Hathazari Madrasah students Mirazul Islam, Rabiul Islam, Jamil and local resident Abdullah. Five other injured people were admitted to the hospital in critical condition. Alauddin Talukder, officer-in-charge of Chattogram Medical College Hospital Police Outpost, said nine people with bullet wounds were taken to the CMCH from Hathazari as of 4:30pm yesterday. “Four of them died while the rest are undergoing treatment.” Meanwhile, Hefazat-e-Islam has called a dawn-to-dusk countrywide hartal for Sunday protesting police action on their anti-Modi rally in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts. Also read:  Govt shuts Hathazari Madrasa The Qawmi madrasa-based organisation will also organise nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, Abdur Rob Eusufi, nayeb-e-ameer of Hefazat, announced the programmes at a press briefing in Purana Paltan on Friday night. Hefazat chief Junaid Babungari ran a video message in this regard.