Star Report

Police yesterday arrested three more leaders of Hefajat-e-Islam in connection with the violence during the anti-Modi protest in Chattogram and Brahmanbaria.

In Chattogram, police arrested Mowlana Mohammad Arif, science and technology affairs secretary of Hathazari municipality Hefajat unit; and Mowlana Mohammad Tajul Islam, assistant dawah affairs secretary of Hefajat Hathazari upazila unit; reported our Chattogram correspondent.

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Hathazari Police Station, said the arrestees’ involvement was found during the investigation of the cases filed over recent Hefajat mayhem at Hathazari municipality.

They were shown arrested in two cases filed after violence with the police station after March 26, he said.

At least 10 cases were filed with Hathazari police station accusing over 100 Hefajat leaders and BNP men including Hefajat Chief Junayed Babunagari over the March 26 violence, while more than 6,000 unidentified persons were sued in the cases.

Four, including three madrasa students, were killed during the clash in the area.

In Brahmanbaria, police have arrested Mufti Abdur Rahim Quasemi, the joint general secretary of Hefajat district committee and also a member of the central committee, who earlier resigned seeking justice for those involved in the violence that ensued between March 26 and March 28 in the district.

Rahim was arrested from Bhadughar in Brahmanbaria municipality area around 4:00pm yesterday, reported our Brahmanbaria correspondent.

Imtiaz Ahammed, officer-in-charge of the special branch of the district police, said that it had been proven in the investigation that Rahim was involved in the recent violence ensued by Hefajat.

He was also involved in the communal violence in Brahmanbaria that took place on January 12, 2016, said the OC.

So far, 415 people have been arrested in 56 cases over mayhem in Brahmanbaria till yesterday.

Meanwhile, Hefajat’s former joint secretary general Mamunul Haque and its Dhaka city unit’s former president Junayed Al Habib were placed on different terms of remand yesterday in five cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the 2013 mayhem and the recent violence in Dhaka.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Sikder placed Mamunul on a five-day remand in two cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the recent violence in Dhaka, centering the visit of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 26 after two investigators produced him before the court with a 17-day remand prayer.

The same court granted four-day remand for Junayed in three cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the 2013 mayhem and the recent violence in Dhaka after three investigators submitted a 24-day remand prayer for him, reported our court correspondent.

The defence for the accused submitted five separate petitions seeking bail along with the cancellation of the remand prayers.

After hearing both sides, the magistrate rejected the defence pleas and placed them on different terms of remand in the cases.