Hefazat-e-Islam calls protest at Baitul Mukarram today

Hefazat-e-Islam's Dhaka Metropolitan unit has announced a protest rally at the northern gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after Jummah prayers today (29 November), demanding a ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and protesting the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in Chattogram.  

The decision was made during a meeting held yesterday (28 November) at Jamia Rahmania Arabia in Mohammadpur, chaired by Hefazat-e-Islam Dhaka Metropolitan President Maulana Junaid Al Habib.  

During the meeting, Hefazat leaders claimed that "a defeated force in the country is attempting to create chaos and anarchy by using a section of the Hindu community." 

They alleged that ISKCON is part of this conspiracy and accused the organisation of destabilising the nation.  

Referring to the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif in the Chattogram court premises on Tuesday (26 November), they said, "The brutal hacking and beheading of lawyer Alif can only be seen as an attempt to incite civil war in the country."  

The leaders called on the public to stay vigilant against what they described as "communal provocations orchestrated by the fallen fascist regime and their masters."  

On Monday (25 November), former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The next day, a Chattogram court denied him bail and sent him to jail. 

Clashes broke out when his followers blocked the prison van, leading to the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif.  

Protests have since erupted in various districts, demanding justice for Alif's murder and the banning of ISKCON. 

Hefazat leaders echoed these demands, with today's rally at Baitul Mukarram aiming to pressure authorities into action.