Qawmi madrasa-based radical Islamist platform Hefazat-e-Islam has been trying to take revenge on the government through campaigning against the ruling party-backed mayoral candidate in Chittagong City Corporation election slated for April 28.
Several intelligence agencies confirmed the information to the Dhaka Tribune while top Hefazat leaders also admitted that they want to see mayoral aspirant AJM Nasir Uddin defeated because of the government’s stance during the May 5, 2013 rally at Shapla Chattar.
“The mayoral candidates nominated by the government were defeated in the five city corporation elections held earlier. We will in no way allow the government-backed candidate to win in Chittagong, where the Hefazat headquarters in located,’’ Mainuddin Ruhi, joint secretary of the platform, told the Dhaka Tribune.
He said the countrymen knew that the pro-government candidates had been defeated due to the oppression on Hefazat.
“The Chittagong voters will never vote for those who opened fire on the sleeping people at Shapla Chattar in Dhaka on May 5,’’ he said adding that the April 28 election was the appropriate time to give a reply to the oppressor government.
“This time we will do everything for the defeat of the government-nominated candidates, particularly in Chittagong,’’
Ruhi added.
A top leader of Hefazat, who was present during the conversation with Ruhi, said Hefazat had more than 2,00,000 votes in Chittagong city and they must give a reply to the government.
According to political sources, the leaders and activists of Hefazat have been working for the BNP-backed mayoral candidate M Manjur Alam under the banner of Islami Oikyo Jote from the very beginning of the election campaign.
Intelligence sources said city unit BNP President Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury, also an adviser to the party chairperson, and Hefazat leaders held meeting when the campaigns began.
The Hefazat leaders held another meeting with Abdullah Al Noman, vice-chairman of the BNP, at the latter’s residence recently. The BNP leaders assured the Hefazat leaders of meeting their demands if Manjur was elected.
A policymaker of Hefazat said their organisation was a non-political one, which never asks anyone to vote in favour of any party or any symbol. “But people sought our advice before casting their votes, particularly in Chittagong.”
“We asked people not to vote for the atheists and anti-Islamist forces in the past five city elections,’’ the leader said adding that the people had responded to their calls.
Formed in 2010, Hathazari madrasa-based Hefazat surfaced again in 2013 when youths launched a historic movement at Shahbagh demanding death penalty for all war criminals and ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.
All the leaders of the platform, except for its chief Ahmad Shafi and his deputy Junaid Babunagari, are from the BNP-led 20-party alliance.
Hefazat placed 13-point demands before the government that include formulating anti-blasphemy law, banning free mixing of men and women, removing sculptures and stopping observance of Bangalee culture. They held two mass rallies in Motijheel, on April 6 and May 5, 2013 demanding realisation of the demands.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
