Nizami, Mujahid, Sayedee held
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
FE Report
Police Tuesday arrested three top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami including the party head on charges of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims in a case that could ignite political backlash.
Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and nayeb-e-ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee were arrested in different spots for violating the court orders.
Syed Rejaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, filed a case in court on March 21, saying Jamaat leaders have likened the party's chief with the Prophet Mohammad at a party meeting.
Metropolitan magistrate Mehdi Hasan Talukder ordered the arrest as none of the four accused did not turn up the court for hearing.
Nizami who is heading the Islamic party was arrested at around 5:15pm, the Dhaka deputy police commissioner told a private news agency.
Secretary general Mojaheed was arrested in front of the National Memorial at Savar around 4:30pm, Ashulia police chief Sirajul Islam said. Sayedee was detained from his Shahinbagh residence around 5:30pm.
Nizami and Sayeedi were taken to the Detective Branch head office in the city's Minto Road, while Mujahid was being taken to the DB office in Minto Road from Ashulia thana.
The court granted bail to another suspect in the case Mohammad Yahia, Islami Chhatra Shibir president of Dhaka metropolitan (south) after he had surrendered to the court and prayed for bail.
The court set August 3 for next proceedings, defence counsel Muhammad Abdur Razzak said.
They were initially summoned to appear before the court on Apr 28 but they did not show up. Thy court issued another summons that day but this was also disobeyed.
Various newspapers on Mar 18 reported Khan as saying that the prophet in his lifetime was "tortured, falsified and conspired against" and "the same is happening in the case of Nizami". Khan later denied the reports.
To condemn the arrests of the party heavyweights, Jamaat said it would hold protest rallies across the country today (Wednesday), assistant secretary general Mohammad Qamaruzzaman said.
He said the party condemns the arrests and is demanding the "unconditional" release of its three leaders.
He said three leaders were arrested in what he branded as totally "false" and "fabricated" case.
"We denounce the incident and are announcing a programme across the country on Wednesday to protest the arrests," Mr. Qamaruzzaman said.
He said party supporters and activists from across the country are protesting the detention of senior leaders.
Security was tightened after the arrests of Jaamat leaders as police cordoned off the party headquarters at Moghbazar to avert any untoward situation.
A team of Ramna police took position in front of the office from 5.0 pm to prevent its activists from creating any unpleasant situation, officer-in-charge Shibly Nomani said.
The law-enforcers were also deployed at the Dhaka city office of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jaamat's key ally, at Paltan.
In Chittagong, bdnews24.com said police cordoned off the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir offices.
Police took position surrounding the city Jamaat offices in Dewanji Pukurpar area and Chhatra Shibir office at Chandanpura.
Moreover, a number of police were also deployed in front of Andarkilla Shahi Mosque, widely known as a strong base of the religious party.
Kotwali zone patrol inspector Md Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com that the measure was taken so that no one could create panic among the people.
Police Tuesday arrested three top leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami including the party head on charges of hurting religious sentiments of Muslims in a case that could ignite political backlash.
Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and nayeb-e-ameer Delwar Hossain Sayedee were arrested in different spots for violating the court orders.
Syed Rejaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tarikat Federation, filed a case in court on March 21, saying Jamaat leaders have likened the party's chief with the Prophet Mohammad at a party meeting.
Metropolitan magistrate Mehdi Hasan Talukder ordered the arrest as none of the four accused did not turn up the court for hearing.
Nizami who is heading the Islamic party was arrested at around 5:15pm, the Dhaka deputy police commissioner told a private news agency.
Secretary general Mojaheed was arrested in front of the National Memorial at Savar around 4:30pm, Ashulia police chief Sirajul Islam said. Sayedee was detained from his Shahinbagh residence around 5:30pm.
Nizami and Sayeedi were taken to the Detective Branch head office in the city's Minto Road, while Mujahid was being taken to the DB office in Minto Road from Ashulia thana.
The court granted bail to another suspect in the case Mohammad Yahia, Islami Chhatra Shibir president of Dhaka metropolitan (south) after he had surrendered to the court and prayed for bail.
The court set August 3 for next proceedings, defence counsel Muhammad Abdur Razzak said.
They were initially summoned to appear before the court on Apr 28 but they did not show up. Thy court issued another summons that day but this was also disobeyed.
Various newspapers on Mar 18 reported Khan as saying that the prophet in his lifetime was "tortured, falsified and conspired against" and "the same is happening in the case of Nizami". Khan later denied the reports.
To condemn the arrests of the party heavyweights, Jamaat said it would hold protest rallies across the country today (Wednesday), assistant secretary general Mohammad Qamaruzzaman said.
He said the party condemns the arrests and is demanding the "unconditional" release of its three leaders.
He said three leaders were arrested in what he branded as totally "false" and "fabricated" case.
"We denounce the incident and are announcing a programme across the country on Wednesday to protest the arrests," Mr. Qamaruzzaman said.
He said party supporters and activists from across the country are protesting the detention of senior leaders.
Security was tightened after the arrests of Jaamat leaders as police cordoned off the party headquarters at Moghbazar to avert any untoward situation.
A team of Ramna police took position in front of the office from 5.0 pm to prevent its activists from creating any unpleasant situation, officer-in-charge Shibly Nomani said.
The law-enforcers were also deployed at the Dhaka city office of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jaamat's key ally, at Paltan.
In Chittagong, bdnews24.com said police cordoned off the Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir offices.
Police took position surrounding the city Jamaat offices in Dewanji Pukurpar area and Chhatra Shibir office at Chandanpura.
Moreover, a number of police were also deployed in front of Andarkilla Shahi Mosque, widely known as a strong base of the religious party.
Kotwali zone patrol inspector Md Nazrul Islam told bdnews24.com that the measure was taken so that no one could create panic among the people.