Hefazat enforces dawn-to-dusk hartal for Monday

Hefazat-e-Islam, an Islamist organisation, has enforced a nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal (general strike) from 6am on Monday to press home its 13-point demands including punishment of the ‘atheist’ bloggers belonging to Gonojagoron Mancha.

Hefazat-e-Islam at its grand rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel in the capital on Saturday issued an ultimatum for the government to fulfill its 13-point charter of demands by April 30.

Junayed Babunagari, secretary general of the Hefajat, announced the hartal programme from the rally, one of the biggest in recent memory.

He said, “If you want to go to or stay in power, you have to accept our demands. Otherwise, there will be dire consequences.”

Ahmed Shah Shafi, chief of Hefazat, was present on the podium, but his statement was read out by his son.

The organisation also threatened to observe Dhaka siege on May 5 if the government failed to meet their demands, including punishment of the ‘atheist’ bloggers, by the deadline.

Besides, Hefazat-e-Islam will hold rallies in Chittagong, Sylhet, Khulna, Barisal, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Brahmanbaria, Faridpur and Bogra between April 11 and April 30.

Hefazat, a Chittagong-based Islamist group, has taken centre stage in recent days as an opposite force to Shahbagh Gonojagoron Mancha from where youths have been demanding the death penalty for war criminals. It alleged defamation of Islam was at the heart of the campaign.