Over 17,000 Jamaat activists sued for clashes over war criminal Sayeedi’s janaza

At least nine cases were filed against over 17,000 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami so far in Dhaka, Cox's Bazar and Chattogram over the clashes with police following the death of Jamaat leader and convicted war criminal Delwar Hossain Sayeedi.

Of the cases, two were filed in Dhaka, while six in Cox's Bazar and one in Chattogram. Deceased Sayeedi's son Maswood Sayeedi is among the accused.

Meanwhile, Jamaat announced fresh programmes protesting at the barring the party activists from holding namaz-e-janaza, police attacks on gayebana janaza [funeral session in absentia], and the killing of a person in Cox's Bazar.

In a virtual press briefing on Wednesday, Jamaat's Acting Ameer Mujibur Rahman said that they will hold dua sessions across the country tomorrow after Juma prayers and hold processions on 23 August.

In Dhaka, police filed a case at Shahbagh police station accusing over 5,000 leaders and activists of Jamaat and its associate organisations for their alleged involvement in attacks and vandalism after the release of Sayeedi's body from BSMMU early Tuesday.

Sayeedi's son Maswood Sayeedi and Jamaat leaders Hamidur Rahman Azad and Shafiqul Islam Masud are named accused in the case, said Faruk Hossain, deputy commissioner (media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. 

Another case was lodged with Paltan police station naming 16 Jamaat activists and unnamed 150 others.

The police officer said that both the cases were lodged on Wednesday night.

Sayeedi, convicted in a war crimes case, was admitted to BSMMU on Monday evening and died there on Tuesday night. His body was released from BSMMU on early Wednesday.

In Cox's Bazar, six cases were filed naming 466 and 11,900 unnamed others over the clashes with police, said Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police Md Mahfuzul Islam.

One of the six cases was filed by the widow of Mohammad Forkan, who died in Chakaria during a clash between police and Jamaat activists on Tuesday.

In Chattogram, 40 Jamaat leaders and activists were arrested over clashes with police at Wasa Intersection in the port city. They were later sent to jail.

A case was filed on Wednesday accusing 315 people, including 65 named and 250 unnamed, at Kotwali police station for attacking on police at Wasa intersection on Tuesday, said Md Jahidul Kabir, officer-in-charge of Kotwali police station.