Sohag Murder: Hefazat-e-Islam Condemns

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has strongly condemned the brutal murder of businessman Lal Chand alias Sohag in front of Mitford Hospital in Old Dhaka. The condemnation was expressed in a statement signed by Hefazat Ameer Allama Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Allama Sajedur Rahman on Saturday (July 12). In the statement, the leaders said, “We strongly condemn the brutal murder of a scrap dealer with stones in broad daylight on the street in Mitford, Old Dhaka, for not paying extortion money and demand exemplary punishment for the killers.” They said, “By embracing the ideals and principles of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman, BNP must immediately bring its constituent organizations under control and stop the politics of party extortion and murder.” The interim government must also quickly implement fundamental reforms in the police force to improve the law and order situation. The identified allies of fascism in the police force must be expelled and new appointments made. Unless the police force is radically reformed, extortion, murder and political corruption will not stop in the country. If law and order deteriorates, even the interim government cannot avoid responsibility. Hefazat leaders said, we have said before, where the government and administration fail, the patriotic masses and the July revolutionary students will come forward. We call on the July students to stand up against political corruption. Addressing the BNP leadership, they said, Ziaur Rahman’s ideals are absent in your party today. It is not possible to come to power through factionalism, extortion and murder. We have overcome that inhuman culture of political corruption. We have entered a new chapter in history through the July mass uprising last year. The July Revolution brought the masses’ aspirations and dreams of building a new Bangladesh. They said that the clerical community and the new generation are the main architects of that revolution. Ignoring their revolutionary voice and indomitable emotions will not have a good outcome. To survive in this changed new Bangladesh, a healthy and humane political culture must be developed. Otherwise, the new revolutionary generation will not hesitate to take to the streets again for the sake of the country and the nation.