Hifazat-e Islam says journalists may be attacked from its processions and rallies if any report is run against them from Tuesday in a blatant and unprecedented threat on media freedom.
It also says that it will move the court against any ‘confusing’ report.
The Hifazat is perceived to be linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami whose top leaders face war crimes trial and is purportedly funded by the BNP.
It had also voiced its disgust against the youth-led Shahbagh-based popular uprising that has been calling for trying all war criminals and building a Bangladesh of communal harmony.
The Chittagong-based organisation gathered at Dhaka’s commercial hub, Motijheel, on May 5, asking for a stop to free mixing of the sexes and repeal of the policy to empower women — demands that run against the popular sentiments.
File Photo
The Islamist outfit ran into limelight again as a few media outlets, including a television channel, began running programmes about its activities marking one year of its movement.
Ekattar Television recently started a documentary titled ‘Hifazatnama’.
The organisation claimed that the documentary was creating wrong conceptton among the people about it.
The organisation called a press briefing at the office of Chittagong Metropolitan Union of Journalists on Tuesday.
The Hifazat’s Secretary General Zunaid Babunagari said, “We have been on good terms with journalists. This press conference has been called to deter any damage of the good ties.”
Several female journalists came under the attack from the organisation’s activists just because they were women while they were covering the Motijheel gathering on May 5, 2013.
Its leader Shah Ahmad Shafi came under huge criticism at home and abroad for urging guardians not to send their daughters to work for garment industries, which account for 80 percent of Bangladesh’s export income.
In a written statement, the Hifazat’s Azizul Haq Islamabadi said, “Ekattar Television and some other media outlets are ranting against Hifazat-e Islami marking the first anniversary of its movement.”
“This is leading to a misunderstanding between us and journalists.”
This is angering the Hifazat activists, he commented and said, “For this, journalists may be attacked from our processions and rallies.”
“Currently, some print and electronic media outlets are hugely propagating against Hifazat-e Islami, Kawmi madrasa and Alem and Ulema.”
Criticising the Ekattar TV’s running of the documentary, he said, “This is a planned conspiracy to spread hatred against the Muslims as well as implementing foreign powers’ agenda.”
The reports are also being run without taking any statement from any responsible person of the Hifazat, he further alleged. He said these report amied to anger the majority Muslims and create anarchy “ruining communal harmony”.
“The country may be pushed to the brink of (foreign) aggression if Alems take to the street protesting against such reports maligning them as militants and terrorists.”
“This will lead to the extermination of Islam because this agitation (of alems) will enable the handover of the country to imperialistic powers.”
He alleged that they had been blamed for the violence over the Hifazat’s rally at Motijheel on May 5 last year. “A quarter had caused the violence to malign our movement.”
Hifazat leader Islamabadi sought the government’s cooperation to make their Resalata Conference on April 3 and 4 a success.
Following a bomb explosion, police had seized bottles of picric acid, grenades and explosives from a madrasa, run by a Hifazat leader, in Chittagong in Oct of 2013.
The Hifazat leaders, however, avoided comments on Tuesday when they were asked about charges pressed against Hifazat leader Mufti Ijaharul Islam over the incident.
Chittagong City Hifazat chief Tajul Islam, Finance Secretary Ilias Osmani, Chittagong district (south) chief Anwar Hossain, among others, were present.
Source: Bd news24
