Hefazat-e-Islam announces two new programmes after grand rally

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh held a grand rally at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital on Saturday afternoon.

From the rally, the organisation announced two new programmes: it will organise divisional conferences within the next three months to demand women's due rights, and on 23 May, following the Friday prayer, it will hold a protest march to press for four demands.

The secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Maulana Sajidur Rahman, announced these programmes. The grand rally began around 9:00am at Suhrawardy Udyan and concluded shortly after 1:00pm on  Saturday.

The grand rally was organised to press four key demands. The primary demand is the immediate withdrawal of all cases filed against Hefazat-e-Islam leaders.

According to the organisation, there are around 300 such cases across the country. Other demands include justice for the killings at Shapla Chattar on 5 May 2013, during the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to Dhaka in March 2021, and the incidents in July–August 2024.

Further demands include the abolition of the Women’s Reform Commission, the reinstatement of full trust and faith in Almighty Allah in the preamble of the Constitution, and an end to what they describe as genocide and oppression of Muslims in Palestine and India.

Sajidur Rahman stated, “To achieve these demands, we will protest, we will struggle, and if necessary, we will engage in jihad.”

The rally concluded with a prayer led by Hefazat's Amir, Shah Muhibullah Babu Nagari.

Since early morning, Hefazat leaders and activists from various districts, including the capital, gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan in processions. Due to the large crowds, traffic in Shahbagh and surrounding areas was restricted from dawn.

At the rally, Islamic scholar and religious leader Syed Enayetullah Abbasi from Jaunpur said, “Many Islamic scholars have been labeled as extremists and imprisoned. If Babar Sahib (Lutfozzaman Babar) can be released, why can’t the scholars be freed? Without their release, there can be no reform or election.”

Enayetullah Abbasi also accused the government of hurting religious sentiments by forming what he called a “controversial women’s commission.” He warned the authorities not to push Bangladesh toward war in the Indo-Pacific under the pretext of a "humanitarian corridor."

In his speech, central Hefazat leader Mahmud Bin Hossain said the organisation’s activists are ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to oppose any action against the Holy Quran.

He demanded the immediate cancellation of the Women’s Reform Commission's recommendations, saying today’s rally was proof of their resolve.