Mazhar bats for Hifazat march

Poet and writer Farhad Mazhar has urged the government to make the scheduled long march of Hifazat-e-Islam a ‘trouble free event’.

He also asked the government to provide food and shelter to those participating in the ‘peaceful march of the ‘religious-minded people’.

Hifazat, a religious party, has announced to take out a long march to capital Dhaka on Apr 6 and hold a rally there demanding punishment of the ‘atheist’ bloggers demonstrating at Shahbagh, who are seeking maximum penalty for convicted war criminals and a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Mazhar, who had been under fire from Shahbagh demonstrators for his alleged affiliation with the Jamaat, said the Hifazat would take out the long march and hold a rally to inform the government of the ‘hurt’ in religious sentiments of the people and warn it of its alienation.

“We are expressing all out support to this programme,” he said.

On Sunday the ‘Nagarik Raksha Jatiya Committee’ was formed with Mazhar as the Convenor and Secretary General of a faction of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, Shawkat Mahmud, as its member secretary.

He prayed for the success of Hifazat’s programmes.

“I’m urging supporters of all political parties to stand by the Dhaka-bound march to make it a success and assist them as much as you can,” Mazhar added.