Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed on Wednesday said that people who are behind the violence unleashed by Hefazat-e-Islam would be brought to book. The IGP made the remarks at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in the afternoon while visiting police members injured in clashes with Hefazat in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria. Hefazat’s top brass was not sued as they were not present on the spot of during the clashes and sabotage, Benazir said. Also read: Hefazat announces ‘doa mahfil' for Monday, 'demonstration' on April 2 “But action will be taken against them if they’re found involved with the clashes and violence,” he said. “Those who launched the attack were named in the cases but [our] investigation will also reveal the names of instigators.” “Their barbaric attack was an attempt to tarnish the golden jubilee celebration of country’s independence,” he said. Also read: Hefazat’s day-long hartal ends amid violence, clashes On Sunday, six separate cases were filed against 3,000 people over sabotage on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Narayanganj during Hefazat’s daylong hartal. Siddhirganj police have filed five cases and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) another. Also read: Hefazat’s hartal underway; Dhaka-Chattorgam highway blocked Clashes, vandalism, arson attacks and road blockades at different parts of the country were reported during the hardline Islamist group’s daylong hartal on Sunday. Hefazat called for the shutdown demanding punishment of policemen involved in shooting incidents in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria during their anti-Modi protests that left at least nine people dead, including several Hefazat activists.

The government is going to take a strict stance to prevent all kind of anarchy and secure people’s lives and properties, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Sunday. He came up with the warning while talking to reporters at the secretariat. The warning came after a daylong Hefazat-e-Islam hartal protesting against, what it called “police action” on its ‘anti-Modi’ processions in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts. Minister Kamal said some rowdy people and groups, spurred on by religious fanaticism, are destroying public properties in Chattogram, Brahmanbaria and other parts of the country. “I’m requesting them to stop,” he said, “otherwise, the government will take stern action.” Also read: Hefazat’s day-long hartal ends amid violence, clashes He said that the government has noticed some vested groups using orphans and minors to advance their own agenda. “In some places, small children and orphans were victimised. This is anarchism,” Kamal said. “We’ve observed them patiently, now we’ll resist them and bring them to book. Their tactics (hartal supporters) show that militants who triggered instability in the past, have joined hands to create sabotage,” he said, adding that no one will be spared. Responding to a question, the minister said that most of the students who study in madrasas come from poor background. “They’re being used and misled using the name of religion.” Hefazat announces fresh protest programme Hardline Islamist group Hefazat also held nationwide demonstrations on Saturday during which clashes with police left at least five people dead in Brahmanbaria. Also read: Hefazat announces ‘doa mahfil, demonstration’ for Monday 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. 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.