Pro-BNP-Jamaat Babunagari takes over leadership of Hefazat-e-Islami

CHATTOGRAM, Nov 15: Pro-BNP-Jamaat faction of the Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has taken over the leadership of the major Islamic party of the country.
In the Council session on Sunday at Hathazari Madrasa premises, a 151-member central committee was announced with most members being supporters of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami party. In the Council, incumbent Secretary General and one of the Anti-Shafi leaders Junayed Babunagari was named the Amir of the party while Nur Hussain Kashemi, the Secretary General.
Late Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi was the Amir of the party. He was a Pro-Awami League chief. So, the Hefazat-e-Islam was considered a pro-government organisation and a major Islamic party in the country.
Following the death of Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi on September 18, the pro-BNP-Jamaat faction has taken the leadership of the party. Most of the student activists of the party were also considered anti-Awami League.
These students waged a movement against Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi since September 15 till his death on September 18.
The Pro-Shafi group was neglected in all respects as they were the minority in the party.
With the election of the
    new committee, the ruling Awami League has lost its grip on Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.
Nearly 400 councillors from all over the country took part in the Council session. It is alleged that most of the councillors belonged to the anti-Awami League camp.
The incumbent Secretary General Moinuddin Ruhi and the Publicity Secretary of the former committee and the son of Allama Ahmed Shafi, Moulana Anas Madani have not been included in the newly-formed committee.
Moinuddin Ruhi hinted that another committee might be constituted by the followers of Allama Shafi. He disclosed this to journalists on Sunday.
Hefazat-e-Islam came to the political scene of the country after staging a massive demonstration at Shapla Square at Motijheel of the capital in 2013.
The ruling party took pains to convince the top leader of the party, Allama Shah Ahmad Shafi, to withdraw the protest programme.
The Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh came into being in 2010 with activists of more than 10,000 Qaumi Madrasa in the country.