Shutdown on Sunday if Farooqi killers not caught

The followers of the slain Islamic Front leader and TV show host Maolana Nurul Islam Farooqi have set a Saturday deadline for the government to capture the killers.

Islamic Front leader slaughtered at Dhaka home

They have threatened a nationwide strike on Sunday and further tough movements across the nation if the killers are not nabbed within the given time frame.

On Thursday afternoon Islami Chhatra Shena's Chittagong Metropolitan unit President Abu Azam announced from a rally in front of the Chittagong Press Club that the organisation would hold a nationwide strike on Sunday if the murderers were not arrested by then.

Maolana Nurul Islam Farooqi was murdered in the presence of his family at his residence on Wednesday night at East Razabazar.

He was a presidium member of Islamic Front, a leader of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat and also the Khatib of High Court Mazar mosque. Besides, he hosted two programmes – ‘Shantir Pothe’ and ‘Kafela’ – on Channel i.

Islamic Front, Chhatra Shena and Ahle Sunnat activists began gathering in the Jamalkhan area from early morning.

As their numbers swelled to thousands, they barricaded the road from Cheragi Hill to Jamalkhan. Some of them were carrying heavy sticks.

Ahle Sunnat Secretary General Mosahib Uddin Bakhtiar joined the rally to announce a protest rally on Sep 2 at the Laldighi grounds.

"Nurul Islam Farooqi spoke for peace in Islam on behalf of the Sunni people. He was trying to spread the spirit of Sufism through the media," he said.

"'If the Sunnis regain their heritage, militancy won't be able to grow in Bangladesh. That is why the militants are planning to kill the Alems and Ulama," he added.

"The government must find these killers. They are planning to kill more Alems," Bakhtiar said.

Ahle Sunnat Chief Coordinator MA Matin, Mufti Obaidul Haque Naimi, Allama MA Mannan, Maolana Abul Kashem Noori and Gausia Committee President Pyar Muhammad were present among others at the rally.

A large contingent of police personnel was deployed in the area but it did not impede the rally.