Hefazat leaders again request home minister to release its arrested men

Leaders of the Hefazat-e-Islam have met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal with four demands, including the release of arrested leaders and activists and the reopening of Qawmi Madrasa.

A 10-member Hefazat delegation met the home minister for the third time at the minister's residence in Dhanmondi on Tuesday night.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan was also present at the meeting.

The demands include- release of Hefazat leaders; stopping arrest; withdrawal of cases filed in 2013 and reopening of Qawmi madrassas.

Regarding the meeting, the state minister told the media, "Hefazat leaders have admitted that some of their actions were wrong. They said that infiltrators have vandalised and caused violence. Later, they requested to release their leaders and activists."

After a three-hour meeting, Nurul Islam Jihadi, secretary general of the newly dissolved committee and member secretary of the current convening committee, said, "The home minister has promised to release the arrested leaders and activists. Besides, we have made four demands to the minister. There was also talk about Mamunul Haque."

On 19 April, the day after the arrest of the then joint secretary general of the organisation Mamunul Haque, a high-level delegation of Hefazat-e-Islam met at the home minister's residence in Dhanmondi.  

Hefazat then dissolved the committee and announced the convening committee.

On Sunday night, Maulana Abul Hasanat Amini, acting chairman of the Islamic Unity Alliance, led a meeting of four leaders of another faction of Hefazat at the minister's residence.