Questions arise over Tk6 crore transaction in Mamunul’s bank accounts: DB
Most of the money had been donated for the welfare of madrasa students, Rohinga aid, development of madrasas and for Hefazat’s fund
Detectives have found transactions of Tk6 crore through bank accounts of Hefazat-e-Islam central joint secretary Mamunul Haque.
Most of the funds came from expatriates, and law enforcers found inconsistency in using these funds, said Joint Commissioner of Detective Branch, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Mahbub Alam.
Most of the money had been donated for the welfare of madrasa students, Rohinga aid, development of madrasas and for Hefazat's fund, he said.
"But we have found that most of it was spent on political activities and on Mamunul's personal works," Mahbub said.
The DB is investigating 14 cases filed over the 2013 mayhem by Hefazat and some others relating to the recent incidents of vandalism over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dhaka.
The Police Bureau of Investigation and the Criminal Investigation Department have also been working with the DB in the investigations, Mahbub added.
The agencies will file charges to the court very soon, he added.
The DB official also said law enforcers had found inconsistency in transactions made by former finance secretary of Hefazat Monir Hossain Kashemi.
"All are under investigation, but we could not figure out the amount yet," he added.
Earlier on 18 April, Mamunul was arrested at Jamia Rahmania Madrasa in Dhaka's Mohammadpur area. He is well known among Islamic hardliners for his hate speech and violent sermons in religious congregations and on social media.
In November 2020, Mamunul demanded that the government remove the statue of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, claiming that statues were forbidden in Islam. He later said he did not mean to show disrespect to Bangabandhu.
In March this year, the Hefazat bigwig and his party colleagues led a series of protests against Modi's Dhaka visit, which sparked violence in parts of Bangladesh.
There are 17 cases in Dhaka against Mamunul. Of the cases, 15 were filed by the police after the siege of Hefazat in Dhaka's Motijheel Shapla Chattar in 2013.