Hifazat wants public mingling of sexes banned

The Hifazat-e Islam has threatened to lay siege to Dhaka on May 5 if the government does not meet their demands, including banning women appearing in public with men.

Their 13-point charter of demand also include a halt to setting up of statues in educational institutions and roundabouts countrywide, and punishing the ‘atheist’ bloggers.

Earlier, the Chittagong-based group also called a nationwide daylong general strike protesting what it claimed were government obstructions to its long march to Dhaka.

Organisation’s Secretary General Junayed Babu Nogri issued the ultimatum from a rally in Motijheel on Saturday.

He also announced rallies in all the divisional cities -- Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet and Barisal -- and Faridpur, Bogra, Brahmanbaria and Mymensingh throughout April.