B’Baria Mayhem: Three more Hefajat men arrested

Law enforcers arrested three more Hefajat-e-Islam men from different places in Brahmanbria in 24 hours till yesterday morning in cases filed over vandalism and arson attacks during protests over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in late March.

With the latest arrests, a total of 506 people have been held so far in connection with the cases, said Brahmanbaria police in a press release.

Police said they identified those involved in vandalism and arson attacks after examining photos and video clips of the incidents that took place on March 26-28.

Meanwhile, Brahmanbaria Additional Superintendent of Police Rais Uddin has been transferred, a Police Headquarters notification said yesterday.

With him, a total of 20 police officials, including the additional SP, assistant SPs and officers-in-charge in the district, have been transferred so far after the Hefajat mayhem.

At least 15 people were killed in clashes between law enforcers and Hefajat men in Brahmanbaria on March 26-27.

A total of 56 cases have been filed with different police stations in the district against 39,000 people, including 414 named, over the Hefajat mayhem.

On March 26, Hefajat activists vandalised and torched Brahmanbaria Railway Station, halting Dhaka's railway links with Chattogram and Sylhet. The demonstrators set fire to the control panel of the station and torched seven rooms.

The following day, at least five people were killed and around 50 others, including 25 policemen, injured in clashes between law enforcers and locals during protests by Hefajat men in Nandanpur area of Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila.

They were staging demonstrations protesting the visit of Indian PM Modi.

During a countrywide dawn-to-dusk general strike on March 28, Hefajat men vandalised and set fire to Brahmanbaria Sadar land office, Sur Samrat Ustad Alauddin Music Academy, Government Public Library, Zila Parishad building, municipality building, Police Lines, Khatihata Highway Police Station, Industrial School and Shilpakala Academy.