Hefajat mayhem: ‘Vandals untraced, so trial delayed’

Police are yet to identify the foot-soldiers of Hefajat-e-Islam who ran amok in Dhaka on May 5, 2013, a top official said as explanation for the delay of the trials for the rampage.

“Police have identified the masterminds. But, the foot-soldiers, who caused the havoc, are yet to be ascertained” said Monirul Islam, a spokesperson for Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

The police official, also the chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime, was talking to reporters this morning at Minto Road ahead of the four-year anniversary of Hefajat mayhem.

In total, 53 cases were filed over the rampage on that day. But apart from a few, investigation of most of the cases has not seen any headway over the years.

“The individual and collective role of the Hefajat foot-soldiers is yet to be ascertained. That is why there is a delay in finishing the investigation of the cases,” Monirul told reporters.

Of the 53 cases, 33 were filed with Paltan Police Station, six with Motijheel Police Station, three with Shahbagh Police Station, two with Ramna Police Station and the rest with other police stations in the city. At least seven of them were lodged as murder cases.

On that day, the Hefajat men locked in deadly clashes with law enforcers and the ruling Awami League men and turned the capital city into a battlefield. They set fire to hundreds of shops, vehicles and police outposts and looted shops, including those having Islamic books.

Although Hefajat claimed that 2,000 of its leaders and activists were killed in the incident, the government's death figure stood at only 13, including three policemen. Hefajat could not provide names and addresses in support of its claim.

 
Source: thedailystar