After it became clear to all that leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam were involved in the recent anti-state violent activities, the Qaumi Madrasa-based radical organisation has formed a convening committee dissolving its central committee.
At the same time, Hefazat has announced that the students and teachers of Qaumi Madrasa will not be involved in any kind of political activity.
Hefazat sources said that the organisation will keep its “too much politically exposed leaders” out of the central committee and of the decision making level, and replace them with Islamic scholars.
In an effort to reach a compromise with the government, a group of Hefazat leaders, led by Nurul Islam Jihadi, secretary-general of the organisation dissolves the committee met with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal last week in his residence in Dhaka.
Following this, Junaid Babungari, Amir of Hefazat-e-Islam announced the dissolution of the committee in a video message on Sunday night. He said that with the consultation of senior leaders the organisation would be managed through a convening committee.
Hours after, Nurul Islam Jehadi, general secretary, announces a five-member convening committee headed by Junaid Babungri.
Nurul Islam Jihadi, who had a meeting with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal a few days ago, is the member secretary of the new convening committee. Among the other three members, Maulana Mahibulya Babungari has been appointed as the chief adviser of the committee. Maulana Sala Uddin Nanupuri of Chattogram and Maulana Mizanur Rahman of Dhaka have been made members.
Earlier on Sunday, a meeting of the Standing Committee of Al-Hayatul Ulaya Lil Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, the highest policy-making board of Qawmi Madrasa, decided that the teachers and students of the madrasas would not be involved in any kind of political activities.
Maulana Nurul Islam Jihadi, a member of the committee, also member secretary of Hefazat E-Islami newly formed convening committee, told reporters, "Such a decision has already been made. But due to the recent situation, it has been discussed again in the board meeting. "
"Students and teachers of Qawmi Madrasa have been reminded not to get involved in politics," he said.
It is clear from the inclusion of members in the new convening committee that the organisation has not moved much from its previous radical position.
Maulana Ashraf Ali Nizampuri, a senior teacher at the Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Madrasa in Hathazari Chattogram, known as the headquarters of Hefazat-e-Islam, and the assistant secretary-general of the defunct committee said that the committee had been reconstituted as part of the organisation’s reorganising process.
The organisation includes leaders of various political parties, which does not match the main non-political features of Hefazat. For this reason, the committee will be reshuffled excluding well-known politicians, he added.
In November last year, a 151-member committee was formed after the death of the founder Amir of Hefazat-e-Islami Maulana Shah Ahmad Shafi, where several leaders of religious political parties of the BNP-led 20-party alliances were included.
In addition, many of the organisation's field-level leaders have been accused of being involved in anti-government conspiratorial political activities. Besides, Assistant Secretary-General Mamunul Haque's various sexual scandals have also been discussed across the country.
A section of the country's civil society and Islamic scholars have also urged the government to establish control over Hefazat-e-Islam's activities.
In the meantime, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has submitted its investigation report on the Shah Ahmed Shafi murder case in the court, in which Junaid Baungri, Mamunul, and another 41 leaders and activists were found accused.
On the other hand, several senior leaders who are now in police custody have also resigned, disagreeing with the violence. There were many more leaders on this list who are preparing to resign at any moment, sources confirm.