Brahanbaria mayhem: 6 more Hefazat men arrested

Six more people have been arrested in the past 24 hours in connection with last month's mayhem by Hefazat-e-Islam supporters in Brahmanbaria, police said on Tuesday.

The arrests were made from different areas of Brahmanbaria after identifying the accused from video footage and images taken during the violence, the district police said.

Two of the six arrested have been identified as Sadekpur Union Chartra Olama Oikko Parishad’s secretary Kwari Md Mojammel Haque and Ashuganj upazila Hefazat-e-Islam and Imam Parishad secretary Maulana Mufti Obaydullah, reports UNB.

So far, 55 cases have been filed and 375 people arrested over the rampage, the district police said in a release.

On 27 March, at least five people were killed and around 50 others, including 25 policemen, injured in clashes between members of law enforcement agencies and locals during Hefazat’s demonstrations at Nandanpur in Sadar upazila. They had staged the protests against Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh during the twin programme of golden jubilee of Bangladesh and the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman.

The next day, during Hefazat’s countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal protesting against police action on their anti-Modi processions in Dhaka, Chattogram and other districts, activists set fire to three buildings, including the land office in Brahmanbaria sadar upazila.

They had also attacked a Chattogram-bound train at Talshohor rail station in Brahmanbaria town.

The Hefazat supporters also vandalised several private and government establishments, including Zila Parishad building, municipality building, police lines, Industrial School, land office, Alauddin Music Academy and Foirtala Bus Stand in sadar upazila.

The supporters had also attacked Brahmanbaria Press Club and confined some journalists there.