Hifazat’s Mamunul charged with violence in Baitul Mukarram area

A Jubo League leader has charged Hifazat-e Islam leader Mamunul Haque with orchestrating the violent clashes in Dhaka’s Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area on the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh.

Plaintiff Khandaker Arifuzzaman, who identified himself as a businessman in the case started with Paltan police on Monday night, also named 16 other men and 2,000 to 3,000 unidentified people, according to Paltan Police Station OC Abu Bakr Siddique. 

The charges against them include assault, vandalism and arson attacks on vehicles, said Syed Nuril Islam, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Arifuzzaman told bdnews24.com he is the deputy office secretary of Jubo League Dhaka Metropolitan South unit.

“I’ve started the case on behalf of the Muslims against Hifazat’s violence,” he said.

Hifazat and some other groups protested against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mar 26-27 visit to join the celebrations of Bangabandhu’s birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence over his government’s policy towards minority Muslims.

After Friday prayers at Baitul Mukarram on Mar 26, some protesters began shouting slogans against Modi and India. They later clashed with the local leaders of the Awami League and its affiliates who came to the mosque to offer prayers.

The police used tear gas shells, rubber bullets and water cannon to stop the pitched battle. The protesters threw brickbats at the police and torched two motorcycles there.

Protesters against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit burn motorcycles outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Dhaka after Friday prayers on Mar 26, 2021. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

At least 60 people, including journalists, law enforcers and general people, were injured in the clashes, according to the law-enforcement.

The police started a case against 500 to 600 unidentified people over the clashes.

In the other case, Arifuzzaman alleged that the accused carried out an attack with local and foreign fire arms, sharp objects and sticks on “direct orders” from Mamunul, a joint secretary general of Hifazat.

The plaintiff alleged Junayed Al Habib, another joint secretary general, hit him with an iron rod breaking his leg on Mamunul’ orders.

Two other joint secretaries general of Hifazat, Lokman Hakim and Nasir Uddin Monir, beat up Arifuzzaman with sticks while Nayeb-e-Amir Bahauddin Zakaria tried to kill a person named ‘Tutul’ with a sharp weapon, according to the charges.

The other accused in the case are Dhaka Hifazat leaders Nurul Islam Jehadi, Habibur Rahman, Khaled Saifullah, Jasim Uddin, Tongi’s Masudul Karim, Monir Hossain Quasemi, Zakaria Noman Foyzi, Mohammadpur’s Foysal Ahmed, Mushtakunnabi, Md Zobayer, Md Toyob, and Brahmanbaria’s Majedur Rahman.

Mamunul planned attacks across the country in a meeting at Baitul Mukarram, leading to deadly violence carried out by the activists of the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami along with the supporters of Hifazat, the plaintiff alleged.