Staff Correspondent:

Hefazat-e-Islam will stage demonstrations across the country on May 23 to press home their various demands including cancellation of the report of the Reform Commission on Women Affairs.

Hefazat chief Muhibullah Babunagari came up with the announcement while addressing a grand rally organised by Hefazat-e-Islam at Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday.

Earlier, Maulana Mahfuzul Haque, it’s Nayeb-e-Ameer, read-out their 12-point demand including abolition of the Reform Commission on Women Affairs formed by the interim government and cancellation of its report.

They demanded the formation of a new commission guided by Islamic scholars and devout women representatives stressing the need for reforms based on the country’s own religious and cultural values rather than Western ideologies.

The group also called for the restoration of “complete faith and trust in Allah” in the Constitution and asked the government to abandon what it termed the “self-destructive” idea of pluralism.

They demanded a ban on Awami League and all its activities until the alleged perpetrators are tried and punished.

Addressing the rally, the Hefazat leaders urged the government not to allow any anti-Qur’an and anti-Sunnah policies to be implemented in a country where 90 percent of the population are Muslim.

They also demanded justice for the alleged mass killing that took place at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel during the Awami League’s tenure in 2013.

Speakers at the rally said Hefazat-e-Islam is prepared to sacrifice lives to protect the sovereignty and independence of Bangladesh but will not tolerate any actions that go against the Qur’an and Sunnah.

They questioned why no investigation commission has been formed to probe the alleged killings at the Shapla Chattar rally while commissions were formed for the BDR mutiny and the July movement.

They said while political cases against members of various political parties have been withdrawn cases filed during the tenure of what they termed the “fascist” Sheikh Hasina regime against Hefazat leaders and activists remain unresolved.

They demanded immediate withdrawal of all such cases.

Hefazat leaders also urged the government to play an active role in ending what they called “Muslim genocide and oppression” in Palestine and India.

Thousands of leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam gathered at the historic Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka to attend their pre-announced grand rally, to press home their five-point demand including withdrawal of cases filed against their leaders and activists immediately

The rally began around 9 am and ended at 1pm.

Earlier, the Hefazat activists brought out a procession in the Baitul Mukarram area of the capital and chanted various slogans.

They also urged people to join the program in support of Islam and justice.

Among the speakers at the event were Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman, Zainpuri Pir Dr Enayetullah Abbasi, National Citizen Party’s Hasnat Abdullah, and Islamic scholar Mufti Fakhrul Islam.