Hefazat-e-Islam on Saturday demanded the immediate cancellation of women affairs reform commission and its report, condemning it as anti-Quran.
Leaders of Hefazat also demanded trial of the Shapla Square massacre in 2013 and withdrawal of all false cases against Hefazat leaders and activists filed during the 15-year regime of Awami League, ousted by a student-led mass uprising last year.
They raised the demands as part of their 12-point demand charter at a rally held at Suhrawardy Udyan in the capital.
Hefazat amir Muhibbullah Babunagari, in a written statement, read out by Hefazat joint secretary general Azizul Haque Islamabadi at the rally, urged the government not to take any decision addressing the recommendations of the women affairs reform commission.
In addition to the cancellation of women affairs reform commission and its report, Hefazat amir also demanded formation of a new commission.
In November 2018, then prime minister Sheikh Hasina was awarded 鈥楳other of Qaumi鈥� title following the government鈥檚 recognition of the Dawra-e-Hadith (Takmil) degree of the Qaumi madrassah system as equal to post-graduation.
The title was given at a 鈥楽hokrana Mahfil鈥� rally at Suhrawardy Udyan organised by Al-Hiyatul Ulya Lil-Zami鈥檃til Qaumiya Bangladesh, the highest organisation of Dawra-e-Hadith of the Qaumi madrassah.听
The organiaation鈥檚 then chairman, also then amir of Hefazat-e-Islam, Shah Ahmad Shafi chaired the event.
At Saturday鈥檚 rally, Hefazat secretary general Sajedur Rahman announced countrywide demonstrations after Friday prayers on May 23 to press home the demands.
Hefazat joint secretary general Mamunul Haque claimed that Islam was insulted in the name of women affairs reform.
He said that religious sentiment of the country鈥檚 majority people was hurt by describing the religious inheritance laws and family laws as the main source of discrimination between men and women.
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Mamunul also announced a two-month ultimatum to the interim government to take steps to withdraw all the false cases against Hefazat leaders and activists.
鈥楬efazat will do what is necessary to cancel the cases if the cases are not withdrawn within deadline,鈥� he warned.听听听
He also called on the patriotic people to remain vigilant on any conspiracy against the country鈥檚 independence and sovereignty in the name of providing a 鈥榟umanitarian corridor鈥� to the Rakhine State of Myanmar facing civil war.
Hefazat nayeb-e-amir Mahfuzul Haque read out the12-point demand charter that also included stopping any attempts to recognise the LGBT community, enhancing the capacity of the international crimes tribunal to expedite the trials for the Shapla and July massacres and completing the trials of Sheikh Hasina and her associates before the national election, and declaring the 鈥楺adiani鈥�, which is a derogatory term for Ahmadi Muslims, as non-Muslim.
Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman, National Citizen Party chief organiser for the country鈥檚 southern region Hasnat Abdullah and central leaders of Hefazat also spoke at the rally.
