Babunagari’s press secretary arrested

Inamul Hasan Faruki, press secretary of Hefazat-e-Islami’s defunct committee’s amir and convener of present convening committee Junaid Babunagari, has been arrested. He was arrested by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Friday from Fateyabad in Hathazari.

Arrested Inamul Hasan Faruki was in charge of issuing all statements and press releases of Hefazat on behalf of Babunagari. He used to be the publicity secretary of Hathazari upazila unit of Hefazat.

Faruki is an accused in a case regarding the alleged killing of former Hefazat amir Allama Shah Ahmed Shafi. He also faces another case, charged with damaging and setting fire the Hathazari police station and the land office.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday morning, Chattogram commandant of RAB-7, Lt. Col. Mashiur Rahman said Babunagari’s press secretary has been arrested in connection with the violence at Hathazari. He is being interrogated. He will then be handed over to the Hathazari police station in the afternoon.

Clashes had broken out in Hathazari, Chattogram and Brahmanbaria following clashes at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka, centering protests against the Dhaka visit of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi during the twin programme of golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Four people were killed in exchange of fire with the police in Hathazari. The madrasah students reacted by damaging and setting to fire the Hathazari police station the land office and the dak bungalow.

The police filed 10 cases at the Hathazari police station in this incident, accusing 4,500 persons. Among the accused, the names of 148 were mentioned, including that of Junaid Babunagari. So far the police have arrested 74 persons in the 10 cases. Six of them have given confessional statements.