Publish list of the ‘killed’: Inu to BNP

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has asked the BNP to come up in the next 48 hours with the list of those it claims to have been killed and gone missing during Monday’s pre-dawn actions to drive away Hifazat-e Islam activists from Motijheel.

He suggested the opposition activists offer unconditional apology to the nation if they fail to publish the list with the addresses of those slain.

Inu made the call at a press briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday.

“Soon after the war crimes trial started, (BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia), the Jamaat-e-Islami and afterwards Hifazat-e Islam have been spreading lies as their main political strategy. ‘Falsehood theory’, ‘Islam in danger theory’, ‘genocide theory’, ‘theory of forced disappearance’ and ‘theory of Sayedee’s image on the Moon’ are now their main theories.”

The BNP in a statement on Tuesday claimed that hundreds of innocent Alems or Islamic scholars of the Hifazat-e Islam were killed in what it said was a massacre at Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar by the law enforcers.

It also demanded an ‘international investigation’ into the ‘genocide’.

“The fascist government snatched their (Hifazat men) constitutional rights to hold rally, conducted massacre at the Shapla Chattar on May 5 and injured scores of people,” the BNP said.

Unruly Hifazat supporters, instigated and bolstered by activists of the Jamaat-e Islami and its student affiliate Islami Chhatra Shibir, vandalised and set fire to police outposts, hundreds of shops, including dozens selling religious books, and makeshift vending stalls on footpaths at Paltan, Gulistan, Bijoy Nagar, Baitul Mukarram and Bangabandhu National Stadium markets on Sunday during their rally.

Hundreds of shops, including those of jewellery, electronics and furniture, were looted.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police at a press conference on Wednesday rubbished speculations about ‘thousands’ of Hifazat-e Islam supporters being killed and the law enforcers’ operation to eject them from Motijheel.

At Thursday’s press conference, Inu claimed that pro-opposition Naya Diganta and Inqilab newspapers were running propaganda that over 2,500 to 3,000 people had died in the drive.

Criticising BNP Standing Committee Member MK Anwar, Inu said: “He not only resorted to falsehood, but also tried to instigate a communal violence. A vested quarter is trying to instigate a (sectarian) violence through the political strategy of falsehood.”

“Today’s Bangladesh is conscious. The people know that no incident can be hushed up in this era of flourishing media. But the BNP and the 18-Party (Alliance) wouldn’t admit this.”

Inu further said the government was preparing a list of madrasa teachers who had ‘deceived’ children into joining violent political activities sponsored by the Hifazat.

When the law enforcers started operation to disperse Hifazat activists from Motijheel, their leaders fled the scene leaving behind many children, who were brought to the capital from different Quami madrasas across the country to participate in the high-voltage ‘Dhaka siege’ programme.

Responding to a question, the Information Minister said all television stations other than Diganta Television and Islamic TV gave credible news coverage about the drive at Motijheel.