‘A true Muslim can never do this’

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Benazir Ahmed expressed his ‘shock’ after visiting the site from where the ‘Islamists’ launched violent attacks on Friday.

After visiting Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Saturday along with other police officials, the DMP commissioner told journalists, the “Islamists who had positioned themselves inside the national mosque were detonating hand bombs within the place of worship. The prayer mats were set on fire as the militants broke the mosque’s wall to hurl brick bats at the police.”

‘The Muslims of Bangladesh are faithful. But I am shocked and speechless after this visit to the mosque.”

“A true Muslim can never take part in something like this. This is extreme anarchy, the result of a wicked intention”, he added.

The DMP top brass urged the people of faith to remain alert against “those who use religion as a shield for their activities”.

On the attacks targeting journalists, the Police Commissioner said, “Attacking police tantamounts to sedition. They have attacked journalists because they want to destroy the democratic structure of the country”.

রাজধানীর পল্টন এলাকায় পুলিশের সঙ্গে সংঘর্ষের পর বায়তুল মোকাররম মসজিদের ভেতরে বিক্ষোভ দেখায় বিক্ষুব্ধরা।

Twelve Islamist and like-minded parties brought out an ‘Anti-Ganajagaran’ procession after midday prayers on Friday. Similar processions against the Shahbagh movement were brought out in several other parts of the country. They resorted to vandalism in Chittagong and Sylhet, destroying the protest podiums erected as a show of solidarity to Shahbagh’s demands. The protesters “desecrated” the Shaheed Minars at Sylhet and Feni. The national flag was torn and stamped in Chandpur.

Although these attacks were unleashed under the banner of the 12 like-minded Islamist parties but police said that it was the Jamaat-e-Islami which had led the violence. Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan also suspected Jamaat to be the main force behind the attacks.

The Islamists smashed a gate at Topkhana Road in front of the Workers’ Party office, which was erected demanding capital punishment for war criminals.

Violent clashes followed after the protesters showered the police with brick bats. The law enforcers fired rubber bullets and tear-gas shells to control the situation. A number of hand bombs were also detonated at that time.

Police have filed 11 cases over Friday’s violence in Dhaka, implicating thousands, including Islami Oikya Jote Chairman Abdul Latif Nezami.