Shafi going back home!

Hifazat-e Islam chief Ahmad Shafi left his Lalbagh office on Monday afternoon in a car, apparently on his way to the Dhaka airport to take a flight to Chittagong. He was expected to leave Dhaka at a Regent Airways flight at 4:30pm.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 6 May 2013, 03:35 AM
Updated : 6 May 2013, 06:05 AM

Police were there at Lalbagh when Shafi was leaving, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported, saying he was driven away in a red car.

“There was no policeman in the car of Hujur (Shafi). I learned that he is going to the airport. He might be going home,” Lalbagh zone Deputy Commissioner Harunur Rashid said.

Armed Police Battalion Senior Police Superintendent Mohammad Iqbal Hossain confirmed that Shafi reached airport and will depart in a Regent Airways flight at 4:30pm.

Regent Airways Executive (airport) Ahsan Habib Ovi said that five tickets were booked at around 3:30am. Flight may leave around 5:00pm after some delay.

The Lalbagh house, 57, Kazi Reazuddin Road, is basically the headquarters for Islami Oikya Jote. Chittagong-based Hifazat-e Islam also uses the building as their office.

Ahmad Shafi was staying there since Sunday when violence erupted during the Hifazat's Dhaka blockade.

Heavy deployment of police and elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were seen around the premises since Monday morning, bdnews24.com Correspondent reported. A police team went inside and talked to Shafi.

Deputy Commissioner Harunur Rashid avoided queries on police presence.

Since early on Sunday, Hifazat supporters took position at six key entry points to Dhaka and effectively cut off the capital from rest of the country.

The Chittagong-based Islamists began their movement against those they call ‘atheists’ demanding capital punishment for them. Hifazat is also known to be against free mixing of sexes in public.

They were granted permission for rally on Sunday at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar. Clashes erupted in Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoynagar, Kakrail and Naya Paltan soon after. Three were killed in them.

Later though they were trying to stay put at the Shapla Chattar indefinitely, they were flushed out of the area by police late at night.