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| Bangladesh |
| 6 arrested |
| 2013-03-24 |
[Bangla Daily Star] Six have been tossed in the clinkDrop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! for administering "Touba" (oath of penance) to 16 grassroots Awami League men on March 4 at Bharajut village under Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat. The arrestees -- Abdul Khaleque, 43, Abdur Rahim, 52, Ashraf Ali, 42, Abdul Maleque Master, 35, Moiz Uddin, 28, and Intaz Ali, 45, -- are identified accused in the case filed two days after the incident. "We've become non-Mohammedan by supporting the Awami League. We're now promising to be with Jamaat to become Mohammedan again. Those who support the Awami League are Jews and if we breach this oath, we will become non-Mohammedan again. Ameen," the 16 AL men were made to say this at Bharahuta Jame Mosque before some 300 villagers. Moiz Uddin, a holy man of another mosque of the area, administered this rare oath while others oversaw it. The case was filed against 15 people, including seven identified BNP and Jamaat men. One of the seven, local Jamaat leader Zafir Uddin, went into hiding while the remaining six were arrested on Thursday. The High Court on March 7 issued a suo moto rule, asking the district superintendent of police (SP) to arrest the people who had been behind the incident. Talking to The Daily Star, Joypurhat SP Hamidul Alam confirmed the arrests of the six, and said police would arrest Zafir soon. Inspector Nur Hossain, investigation officer of the case, said the arrests had been made during raids in Khetlal upazila of Joypurhat. Police had also arrested another five on suspicion of their involvement. During the countrywide hartal ... a peculiarly Bangla combination of a general strike and a riot, used by both major political groups in lieu of actual governance ... s enforced by the Jamaat-e-Islami ... The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... on March 3 and 4, Jamaat men carried out attacks on the Hindus and Awami League men and set fire to at least 50 houses in Panchbibi upazila of Joypurhat. The victims are still hiding in fear of further attacks. |
| Posted by:Fred |