Dhaka gets tough with Islamist party

DHAKA - The government Wednesday slapped eight cases against top officials of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the country’s largest Islamist party, who were arrested Tuesday on charges of hurting Muslim religious sentiments.

JeI’s Ameer (chief) Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, its Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Nayebe Ameer (vice-president) Delwar Hossain Saydee were arrested Tuesday hours after a Dhaka court ordered it, Star Online reported.

The arrests triggered protests by the JeI workers across the country.

At least 55 JeI leaders and activists of its students wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, were detained from different parts of the country.

Police picked up at least 22 Jamaat supporters from Chief Metropolitan Magistrate court premises in the capital Wednesday afternoon.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun said special instruction has been given to the law enforcers across the country apprehending ’sabotage’ following the arrests of three top leaders.

The three were present at a meeting on March 17 when Dhaka city JeI Ameer Rafiqul Islam Khan compared Nizami’s perceived persecution by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government with sufferings of Prophet Muhammad.

This had hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims, as per a complaint lodged with the police by Syed Rejaul Haque Chandpuri, secretary general of the Bangladesh Tarikat Federation.

Bangladesh, an Islamic Republic, has an overwhelming Muslim majority population.

Nizami and Mojaheed, both ministers in the government of Begum Khaleda Zia (2001-06) are also on the list of “war criminals” — those who targeted unarmed civilians in the run-up to the 1971 freedom movement.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government is preparing to try them, along with hundreds of others for their “war crimes”.

The Home Minister told media that the issue of “war crimes” was separate from the current round of detentions.