A faction of Hefazat-e-Islam on Monday announced a 33-member new committee with Junayed Babunagari as its chief (ameer) and Nurul Islam Jihadi as the Secretary General.
Besides, at least 20 of its former leaders, including controversial leader Mamunul Haque, have been dropped from the new committee.
On the other hand, Mohammad Yusuf, the elder son of late Shafi Ahmed, who was also the founder of the organisation has been included in the committee as one of its Assistant Secretary General.
But, sources said, although a son of Shafi Ahmed has been included in the committee, the followers of Shafi Ahmed led by Mohiuddin Ruhi and Anas Madani might announce a counter committee soon.
According to sources, Nurul Islam Jihadi, the new Secretary General of the organization, announced the names of the leaders of the new committee at a press briefing held at Jamia Islamia Makhjanul Madrasha located in city’s Khilgaon intersection.
As per the announcement, Maulana Ataullah Hafezi has been made the Nayeb-e-Ameer of the committee and Maulana Sajedur Rahman as a joint secretary general.
Besides, Maulana Mir Idris has been made the organising secretary while Maulana Muhiuddin Rabbani made the publicity secretary of the committee.
According to sources, around 30 leaders of the previous committee of Hefazat-e-Islam have been dropped from the new committee. They include former joint secretaries general Mamunul Huq, Junayed Al Habib and Nasir Uddin Munir, former organising secretary Azizul Huq Islamabadi, former finance secretary Muhammad Faisal, former central leaders Zakaria Noman Foyezi, Khalid Saifullah, Hasan Zamil, Harun Izhar, Munir Hossain Kasemi, Lokman Mazhari, Ahsan Ullah and Ilias Hamedi.
Sources said, almost all the controversial former leaders of the Hefazat-e-Islami, who are arrested and accused of killing Hefazat founder Shafi Ahmed have been kept out of the new committee.
Meanwhile, the Hefazat-e-Islam also announced its 16-member advisory committee making Junayed Babunagari as its chief.
It also announced a nine-member Central Khas Committee which has been considered as ‘Majlish e-Sura’ of the party.
On April 25, Hefazat-e-Islam chief Junayed Babunagari dissolved the organisation's central committee amid its controversial role in the vandalism launched during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh in late March.
Speaking in a video message from Chattogram's Hathazari Madrasa, Hefazat's spiritual headquarters, Babunagari at that time said: "Considering the overall situation of the country, the central committee has been dissolved following the advice of some of its key members."
Many top Hefazat leaders have been arrested so far over the protests and violence orchestrated by the organisation's supporters and activists across the country against Modi's Bangladesh visit.
At least 77 cases have been filed against Hefazat leaders and activists from across the country over clashes and vandalism. More than 69,000 people have been accused in the incidents.
Babungari has announced the dissolution of the Qawmi madrasa-based organisation's central committee when its leaders, activists and supporters are being arrested in different places of the country including Dhaka every day.
On June 5, a Narayanganj court sent Mamunul Haque, former joint secretary general of Hefajat-e-Islam, to Kashimpur Central Jail on completion of his 18-day remand in six separate cases.
On April 18, a joint team of Tejgaon Division police and DMP's Detective Branch arrested Mamunul from Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasah in Mohammadpur.
Mamunul, who has been in the limelight due to some recent controversies, was held with a woman he claimed to be his second wife from a resort in Sonargaon on April 3.
Later, Hefazat leaders claimed that Mamunul went to the resort with his “second wife” where locals confined and harassed him before calling in the police.
