On May 5, 2013, the Qawmi Madrasa-based organization Hefazat-e-Islam called for a huge rally in the capital’s Motijheel. Lakhs of Hefazat activists gathered in the entire Motijheel area around the rally. Police, RAB and various law enforcement units attacked them at night to disperse them. At that time, clashes broke out between the two sides.
The Awami League government filed cases one after another against leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam for that incident and several other incidents. Recently, Hefazat-e-Islam held a mass rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital and demanded the withdrawal of all the cases.
At that time, 48 cases were filed against Hefazat-e-Islam leaders and activists in four police stations in the capital over the Shapla Chattar incident. Since 2013, the Awami League government has clashed with Hefazat-e-Islam leaders and activists at various times. Due to these clashes, the police filed a total of 220 cases against Hefazat leaders and activists in Dhaka, Brahmanbaria, Narayanganj, Munshiganj and Chittagong districts. Out of these, the highest number of 82 cases were filed in Brahmanbaria district. In addition, 73 cases were filed in Dhaka, 28 in Narayanganj, 26 in Chittagong and 11 in Munshiganj district. These 220 cases were filed in 28 police stations in these five districts during the then tenure. Recently, Hefazat-e-Islam has applied to the Home Ministry for the withdrawal of these cases.
It is learnt that 16 cases out of 220 cases have been withdrawn. In these cases, many BNP leaders were accused along with Hefazat-e-Islam. Among the withdrawn cases, there are eight cases each from Paltan and Mirpur Model Police Stations in the capital, five from Motijheel Police Station, two from Shahbagh Police Station and one from Darus Salam Police Station.
Of the total 220 cases filed against Hefazat in five districts, 48 were filed in the Shapla Chattar clash. After the fall of the Awami League government, the final report was submitted to the court and all the accused were recommended to be acquitted after the allegations in 25 cases of Shapla Chattar were found to be untrue. However, currently 21 cases are under investigation and two cases have stay orders.
According to the general registration branch of the court, 48 cases were filed in the Hefazat-e-Islam Shapla Chattar incident. Out of these, the most cases were filed in Paltan Model Police Station. The number of cases filed in this police station is 36. Of these cases, final reports have been submitted in 22. The other 14 are under investigation. Of the six cases filed in Motijheel Police Station, final reports have been submitted in two. The other two are under investigation and two cases are suspended by the High Court order. Of the two cases in Ramna Model Police Station, a final report has been submitted in one, while the other case is under investigation.
In addition, four cases in Shahbagh Police Station are under investigation. It is learned that it is taking some time as the matter of settling or withdrawing these cases through legal process is under process.
In this context, Advocate Abdus Salam Himel, the lawyer for the defendant in the Hefazat-e-Islam case, said that on May 5, 2013, a barbaric murder was carried out on the leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam at a peaceful rally at Shapla Square using the state machinery. The police killed the leaders and activists and instead filed cases in their names. After the political change on August 5, the police conducted an impartial investigation into these cases. The investigation found that the allegations made against the accused leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami were not proven. That is why the investigating officers in the relevant cases have submitted a final report to the court recommending the acquittal of the accused. In addition, many cases have not been settled yet. For this reason, Hefazat-e-Islam has applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs to withdraw them.
In this regard, Sharif Hussain, Assistant Legal Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan South of Hefazat-e-Islam, said, “We went to Shapla Chattar to seek justice for insulting the Prophet (PBUH). But instead of justice, we got bullets, dead bodies and false cases. Now the dictatorship has fallen. That is why the police are able to conduct an impartial investigation. As a result, the allegations against Hefazat leaders and activists have been proven false.”
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court Public Prosecutor (PP) Omar Farooq Farooqi said that these cases were filed for political harassment. After the investigation, the police submitted a final report recommending the acquittal of the accused in many cases as the allegations were not found to be true. Some cases are still under investigation. They will be disposed of subject to investigation.
Meanwhile, on August 18, a case was filed against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 34 others on charges of genocide at a Hefazat-e-Islam rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel, the capital. Bangladesh People’s Party Chairman Babul Sardar Chakhari filed the case in the court of Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Md. Zaki-al-Farabi. The court ordered the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Motijheel Police Station to investigate the case and submit a report. In addition, Hefazat-e-Islam filed a case with the International Crimes Tribunal on November 26 on charges of genocide. They filed the case accusing 50 people, including ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
