‘Jamaat-BNP financed rally’

Acting chief of Ekattorer Ghatak-Dalal Nirmul Committee Shahriar Kabir on Saturday claimed that the Hifazat-e Islam organised the Motijheel rally with the money from the Jamaat-e Islami and the BNP.

He made the claim while addressing the Ganajagaran Mancha demonstrators at Shahbagh in the afternoon.

The Hifazat organised the rally at Shapla Chattar at Motijheel to press its 13-point charter of demands after its long march to Dhaka from Chittagong, prompting the Nirmul Committee and several other organisations to call a shutdown for Saturday.

After the rally was over, a group of Hifazat activists tried to launch attacks on the Ganajagaran Mancha, but police foiled their bid.

Shahriar said, “Who came to Shapla Chattar rally on their own? Madrasa students have been brought here. Who study in masrasas? Children of poor village people study in madrasas.”

He said madrasas did not have the financial ability to take their teachers and students to Dhaka. “This rally has been organised with the money of the Jamaat and the BNP.”

The BNP-led 18-Paty Alliance and the Jatiya Party, a component of the ruling Awami League-led 14-party combine, had extended their support to the Hifazat movement.

Shahriar demanded a high-level investigation committee to find out if there was any link between the war criminals and the Hifazat.

“Newspaper reports suggest that everybody in the Hifazat is a fundamentalist. These Hifazat leaders were the leaders of Mujaheed Bahini (force), Al-Badr and Al-Shams in 1971. Why don’t the investigators (of the international tribunal) launch a probe against them,” he asked.

Shahriar also came down hard on the government for its role in the Hifazat long march.