Many cases against Hifazat over 2013 mayhem are pending. Police now have 150 new ones

Police are going to investigate 150 cases over Hifazat-e Islam’s recent violence while many of the 83 cases started over mayhem centring its gathering in Dhaka’s Motijheel eight years ago remain unresolved.

Top officials say the investigations have not ended because gathering evidence in these “extensive” cases is taking time.

The Police Headquarters are asking the investigators of the old cases to finish within a month as workload has increased with the addition of the new cases.

State prosecutors cited witnesses not turning up as the reason behind the delay in trial of the cases that have seen the investigations completed.

Launched in 2010 by opposing the government’s policies on education and women empowerment, Hifazat burst onto the scene in 2013 when it called for counter-protests against demonstrations by Ganajagaran Mancha, which came into being with the demand for maximum punishment of war crimes convicts.

The radical Islamist group carried out the mayhem centring Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar on May 5 in 2013 after announcing counter-demonstration denouncing bloggers. The law-enforcing agencies later flushed out the extremists from the streets.

Haider Ali Khan, a deputy inspector general, said 53 cases have been initiated over the violence in Dhaka and 30 others elsewhere.

Police have formally charged the accused in 29 of the cases and submitted final reports in four others after failing to identify the suspects.

“Investigations into the other cases are ongoing,” said DIG Haider.

Haider also said they received a directive from the top brass to conclude investigations within a month.

Mar 26, 2021: A group of madrasa students in Brahmanbaria vandalised and torched Brahmanbaria Railway Station and other parts of the city following clashes between fellow students with the police in Hathazari, amid protests over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka to join the celebrations marking 50 years of Bangladesh's independence. No train made a stop at the station for seven and a half months following the incident.

After the 2013 episode, the government action against Hifazat gradually became less intense. Critics alleged the ruling Awami League had reached an agreement with the radical outfit at the time.

After the recent violence centring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to join the celebrations of Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary, senior Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed admitted that “effective steps” had not been taken in the aftermath of the group’s 2013 mayhem.

Asked why the investigations into the 2013 violence have not been wrapped up, Syed Nurul Islam, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, “These are not like other cases. They are extensive. It is taking time to gather evidence.”

Abdullah Abu, the state’s chief counsel at Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, said four cases were being tried at the court.

On the lack of progress in the trials, he said, “Witnesses are not coming to testify in most of the cases.”

After 2013, Hifazat’s protests were less violent, but its leaders’ radical views on some issues such as secular bloggers, statues and of women, however, have drawn criticism and angst on a number of occasions.

Activists of the Qawmi madrasa-based organisation carried out deadly violence in parts of Bangladesh by the end of March in protest against Modi’s visit over his government’s policy towards Muslims.

Hundreds of people, including a number of top Hifazat leaders, were arrested in dozens of cases over the violence. Some of them were also shown arrested in the cases filed in 2013.

Despite being an “apolitical” organisation, Hifazat aimed to grab state power through the protests, police said.

Under pressure from the spate of arrests, Hifazat chief Junaid Babunagari dissolved the central committee on Apr 25 and formed a five-strong convening committee. The leaders have met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal twice, but the arrests continue.