Huge crowd already in Dhaka, claims Hifazat

Leaders of Hifazat-e Islam have claimed that at least 100,000 of their activists have already arrived in Dhaka to join the rally scheduled to be held on Saturday at the capital’s Motijheel.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 April 2013, 06:47 AM
Updated : 5 April 2013, 06:48 AM

Talking to bdnews24.com on Friday morning, coordinator of the rally Mufti Mijanur Rahman Sayeed said: “They [Hifazat activists] have arrived in Dhaka from different districts on Thursday night and Friday morning.”

They are staying at madrasas, hotels, orphanages and some with their relatives in the capital for the time being, he said.

But he alleged that Hifazat activists coming from outside of Dhaka were facing obstructions. “I have news that buses were obstructed at Comilla’s Biswa Road, Noakhali’s Maijdi intersection, Rangpur and Habiganj.”

The radical group based in Chittagong was set to begin the long march from Chittagong to Dhaka formally after Friday’s Juma prayers. However, many started leaving for Dhaka since Thursday night.But there were complaints of inadequate buses on roads until Friday morning.

Dhaka police have also granted them permission with 12 conditions to hold the rally at Motijheel.

The Islamist protesters are pressing for a six-point charter of demands, including punishment of ‘atheist’ bloggers associated with Shahbagh protests. Allegations against them surfaced that they were working on behalf of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

However, 25 socio-cultural-professional organisations have called a 24-hour shutdown from Friday 6:00pm to thwart the Hifazat programme. Left-leaning parties have also endorsed the strike.

Shahbagh’s Ganajagaran Mancha, whose initiators – the bloggers and online activists – are targets of the Hifazat-e-Islam, have also called a nationwide road, rail and waterways blockade from Friday 6:00pm to Saturday 4:00pm to resist the long-march programme.

Mufti Mijanur Rahman Sayeed said, “We will wait until tomorrow (Saturday). We won’t say anything if the rally is held peacefully. Otherwise there will be non-stop strikes from Sunday.”

“Wherever our activists are obstructed, we have told our people to inform the local administrations there of the Prime Minister’s assurance to the Alems.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday had assured a delegation of Alems, or Islamic scholars, of fulfilling most of their seven-point charter of demands.

The team of Alems, under the banner of Bangladesh Khademul Islam Jamaat, had urged her to give permission for the long march. The Prime Minister also asked them to stay alert against any attempt by the Jamaat-e-Islami of ‘sabotaging during the Hifazat programme’.

Meanwhile, seeking anonymity, an Additional Superintendent of Highway Police level official said police were not obstructing the Hifazat activists. The number of vehicles in the highway was low because of the fear of violence.