Hefazat criticises July Declaration for overlooking Shapla Chattar 'massacre'
It also expressed concern that witnesses of the incident are still afraid to testify.
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh today (6 August) expressed "astonishment" over the 'July Declaration' announced yesterday, stating that it failed to include any promise of justice for the 5 May 2013 incident at Motijheel's Shapla Chattar.
In a statement sent to the media, Hefazat Ameer Mohibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Sajidur Rahman claimed that the "spirit" of the Shapla Chattar protest had energised religious scholars, madrasa students, and the public to participate in the July Uprising.
"It was a conscious decision to omit any mention of the Shapla Chattar massacre from the July Declaration, even though Hefazat leaders were present at the reading," the statement reads.
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"The 'Olama-e-Keram' and madrassa students are angered by this. We are astonished and disappointed! This neglect will certainly be etched forever in our memory," adds the statement.
Hefazat-e-Islam also recalled the 2013 incident through the statement, describing it as a "brutal massacre" of unarmed religious scholars and students during their "Dhaka Siege" programme.
The organisation expressed concern that witnesses of the massacre are still afraid to testify due to a lack of fundamental reforms in the government administration and intelligence systems.
In the statement, Hefazat-e-Islam urged the interim government to take initiatives to build the confidence of these witnesses to ensure justice regarding the Shapla Chattar incident.
