Online Desk: No formal briefing was held from any side after the meeting

Top leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam have met Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at his residence in Dhaka.

A delegation of five to six leaders of the Islamist group held a meeting with the minister for over an hour on Monday night, reports Bangla Tribune.

Senior police officials were also present at the time.

After coming out of the residence around 11:15pm, the leaders declined to make any comments over the meeting.

Hefazat Nayeb-e-Ameer Ataullah Hafeji, Secretary General Nurul Islam Jihadi, Qwami Madrasa Education Board (Befaq) Secretary General Mahfuzul Haque, also the brother of Hefazat Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque, Mizanur Rahman, and Habibullah Miaji, among others, were present at the meeting. 

When asked, Nurul Islam told Bangla Tribune that he is sick and would not be able to talk about the meeting.

Mahfuzul Haque said: "A discussion was held, but there is nothing more to say."

However, no formal briefing was held from any side after the meeting.

Earlier, five top Hefazat leaders led by its secretary general held a meeting with an intelligence agency on Monday afternoon.

A Hefazat leader said the meeting with the home minister was a follow-up to the afternoon meeting.

According to the sources concerned, the Hefazat leaders are trying to come to an understating with the government for the latter took a tough stance against the Islamist group following its violent movements.

They want no more leaders and activists to be arrested by the law enforcement agencies.

Protesting against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late March, Hefazat staged demonstrations in Dhaka and elsewhere, causing multiple casualties.

Police said the law enforcers have arrested nine top Hefazat leaders, including Mamunul Haque, so far.

Mamunul, who was arrested on Sunday, was placed on a seven-day remand on Monday in a case filed with Mohammadpur police station last year.

Meanwhile, Hefazat chief Junaid Babunagari, in a statement on social media, termed the cases filed against the Islamist group leaders as false and fabricated.

In a 20-minute long video on Monday, he also asked for unconditional release of all the Hefazat leaders, including Mamunul Haque and Azizul Haque Islamabadi.

Source : Dhaka Tribune