Leader of different political parties, included in Hefajat-e-Islam, have tried to materialise their party agenda under the banner of the Islamist group and hatched conspiracies to topple the government in 2013 and March this year, investigators have said.
Though Hefajat claims they are a non-political organisation, many of its leaders are affiliated with different political parties that have their separate agenda, Mahbub Alam, joint commissioner of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said today.
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He said these leaders conspired in 2013 to oust the government through Hefajat. Similar efforts were made through violence centring the Indian Prime Minister’s visit in the county in March this year, he said.
The DB official was talking to reporters at his office regarding their findings, after arrest of at least 14 top ranked Hefajat leaders.
Detectives are investigating at least 65 cases filed following Hefajat’s mayhem in 2013 and March this year.
Most of the leaders think that Hefajat is the only effective platform to go to power — using madrasa students as shields — the DB officials claimed citing information given by the arrested Hefajat leaders.
They want to turn Bangladesh into a country like Pakistan and Afghanistan if they come to power, he claimed.
Mahbub said leaders of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were also involved in the conspiracy in 2013 and march this year.
The DB official said Hefajat leaders formed an organisation called “Rabetatul Waizin Bangladesh” with leaders from across the country.
They used to control waz mahfils by forcing organisers across the country to invite their speakers.
A group of Hefajat leaders are involved in propagating extremism. Police are trying to identify them, scrutinising video footages, he said.
To interrogate them, three teams have been formed with investigating officers who have knowledge of Quran and Hadith. They are trying to learn about their main purpose and identify their roles. He ruled out any propaganda of torturing Hefajat leaders.
About Hefajat’s joint secretary general Mamunul Haque, the DB official said Mamunul told investigators that his first marriage was done according to Islamic rule and country’s law.
He said he did not have marriage registration of the two other wives and said those were “contract marriages”. As per the contract, they will be treated as wives but will not get social recognition.
Asked about the funding, the DB officials said most of the money comes from abroad. Police are trying to identify the source of the money.
The operations will continue until all the accused involved are arrested, he said.
This paper cannot independently verify the claim of DB officials as the accused are in police custody.
