Lies and Propaganda

[LIES AND PROPAGANDA ] May 5, 2014

Page 1 of 16

Lies and Propaganda:

Hefazate Islam, Shapla Chattar and Odhikar’s Report

It has been a year since activists of Hefazate Islam were driven out from Shapla Chattar in the

middle of the night by law enforcers in the early hours of May 6, 2013. The raid on that night

became the topic of much discussion and intrigue as immediately following the incident, social

media and other online platforms became inundated with claims of a state sponsored

“massacre”, whereby it was suggested that law enforcers killed at least 2500 people! It did not

take much time to know that the images being disseminated were fake, borrowed from

elsewhere or doctored1. Nonetheless, Hefazate Islam still sticks to its story; although, even after

a year, they are yet to compile and/or publish a ‘casualty list’2.

The only independent source which even remotely corroborated the story of Hefazate Islam was

a Report by a human rights organization named Odhikar3. On 10 June 2013, the rights body

published a report titled “Assembly of Hefazate Islam and Human Rights Violations”4

(hereinafter referred to as the “Report”) after purportedly “conducting a fact-finding drive” in

which they concluded that 61 Hefazate Islam activists were killed by law enforcers during the

late night drive at Shapla Chattar.

The Report gave a very specific number of people as being killed by law enforcers during the

drive, which completely contradicts the version stated by police. In a press conference held on

May 8 2013, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Benazir Ahmed told the media that 11

people, including one policeman, died during the May 5-6 unrest. However, they added that

none of the people died during the drive itself, but throughout the day in various places of Dhaka

and Narayanganj, as Hefazate Islam activists clashed with law enforcers and carried out

widespread vandalism and carnage in partnership with their radical allies Jamaat E Islami.

1 http://bdfactcheck.com/2013/05/23/5th-may-2013-how-to-spread-rumors-of-genocide-with-false-pictures/

2 “Hefazat yet to come up with a casualty list”, the Dhaka Tribune, 5 May 2014

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/may/05/hefazat-yet-come-%E2%80%98casualty-list%E2%80%99] 3 http://odhikar.org/

4 http://odhikar.org/assembly-of-hefazate-islam-bangladesh-and-human-rights-violations/


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After carrying out investigations, the Daily Star, Bangladesh’s highest circulated English

language newspaper5, concluded: “Contrary to such rumours which are being spread through

social media, blogs and word of mouth, The Daily Star reporters who were present throughout

Hefajat’s demonstration till the law enforcers completely drove away the activists at 5 am

Monday found 13 persons to have died during or after Sunday’s violence. Of them, one died of

heart attack. The 13 persons did not all die at Shapla Chattar, but in different adjacent places

where violence erupted from Sunday afternoon”6.

This is what an eye witness BBC Bangla journalist Kallol Kadir had to say about the law

enforcement drive:

“The law enforcers started the raid to clear away Hefazat activists at first hour of Monday (6 May

2013). Members of three forces: RAB, police and BGB started towards Shapla Chattar at 1:00

am. I joined them within 15 minutes. I saw that the entire area was cordoned off and everyone

was asked to leave. But nobody left at first. The cops started firing hundreds of blank rounds

and tear shells. Sound grenades were used too. It is at this point that Hefazat activists started to

disperse. Many of them took refuge in the buildings of Motijheel. At dawn, the law enforcers

brought them down and assisted them to leave the area. I myself saw many Hefazat activists

lining up and leaving with their hands over their heads. Some of them were injured and were

requiring assistance to leave.

The makeshift stage of Hefazat was at that point under police’s control. Besides the stage on a

van was the polythene clad corpses of 4 people. Other journalists saw those corpses along with

me. But police and Hefazat activists leaving the area could not confirm who they belonged to. A

few thousand law enforcers were at Shapla Chattar till morning and were occasionally firing

blank shots. The entire Motijheel area had a war torn look, bearing the brunt of yesterday’s

daylong violent agitation by Hefazat. Only cops and journalists could be seen plying the streets

at that time. Nobody was arrested at the time of clearing Shapla Chattar. When asked by BBC,

5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Star_%28Bangladesh%29

6 Sharier Khan, “Shapla Chattar and Act of Houdini”, May 8, 2013 [http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/shapla-

chattar-act-of-houdini/]


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Lt. Colonel Ziaul Hasan explained that they could have arrested them but they only wanted

them to leave, and hence did not take a hardline approach”7.

One of the sources claimed by Odhikar for their report was a list of 16 deceased people

collected from the morgue of Dhaka Medical College Hospital. However, investigation by Daily

Star found that at least three of those corpses in the morgue were sent from another district,

Narayanganj8.

Apart from the Daily Star, other major newspapers also carried out their own investigations into

the claims made in Odhikar’s Report. One such leading daily, Samakal carried a special report

titled “Odhikar’s Report Made Up” on 30 August, 20139. After collecting the list of deceased,

their investigation revealed:

i) 19 people’s identity does not exist;

ii) 6 people killed in separate incidents added to the Shapla Chattar deceased list;

iii) 5 people have been named twice;

iv) 3 people listed as deceased found to be alive and well.

In August 2013, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) organized a press conference and made their

findings on the Odhikar Report public after the list was recovered from searching the rights

body’s offices10. They found that that the list has 60 names. The 10th entry in the list is empty.

7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/bengali/news/2013/05/130506_pg_motijheel_operation.shtml

8 “Odhikar Report on Hefajat Deaths: Questions Aplenty”, M Abul Kalam Azad, the Daily Star, September 1, 2013

[http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/questions-aplenty/] 9The news can be viewed online @

http://www.samakal.com.bd/print_edition/details.php?news=13&action=main&option=single&news_id=364449&pub_

no=1512&view=archiev&y=2013&m=08&d=30 10

“Odhikar disowns list made public”, the Dhaka Tribune, 2 September 2013

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/sep/02/odhikar-disowns-list-made-public-police]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bengali/news/2013/05/130506_pg_motijheel_operation.shtml


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There were names of three people who Odhikar claimed had been killed but were actually alive.

It contained the names of five other people who were killed in Narayanganj and Chittagong. Five

other names were mentioned twice. The first name in the list was that of Siddiqur Rahman, the

driver of a bus requisitioned by police, who was actually killed by Hefazate Islam activists. The

57th name was Kamal Uddin Khan, manager of General Insurance Company, who actually died

of cardiac arrest on that night.

19 people on that list never existed, viz., Masum Billah of Narayanganj, serial 12; Lutfor

Rahman of Mymensingh, serial 13; Moulana Md Hasan of Narayanganj; Hafej Lokman Hossain

of Narayanganj, serial 29; Al Amin of Narayanganj, serial 30; Moulana Jubair of Munsiganj,

serial 31; Shafiullah Badal of Gazipur, serial 32; Sirajul Islam of Mymensingh, serial 34; Babu

Gazi of Shariyatpur, serial 35; Md Sohel of Comilla, serial 39; Sekandar Ali Fakir alias Ebne Ali

Maijuddin Fakir of Bogra, serial 40; Md Sultan of Jatrabari, serial 45; Rajeeb of Demra, serial

46; Moulana Mutiar Rahman of Comila, serial 49; Sbbir of Demra, serial 53; Taher of Demra,

serial 54; Abu Sayeed of Demra, serial 55; Jalal Ahmed of Shariyatpur, serial 60; and Sirajul

Islam of Comilla, serial 61.

Lastly, one of the premier TV channels of Bangladesh, Ekattor TV carried a series of special

reports on the carnage of 5 and 6 May 2013 and Hefazat’s claims of “massacre”. In them, they

showed overwhelming evidence of how the myth of massacre was propagated by Hefazate

Islam and other opposition parties hostile to the current regime. The programmes can be viewed

online at:

Watch Online:

Somikoron Hefajat Islam Ep 01 Part 01: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyDWt-I0sno

Shomikoron Hefajat Islam EP 01 Part 02: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PNdkmG2oes

Shomikoron Hefajat Islam Ep 02 Part 01: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxjZeSh03hg

Shomikoron Hefajat Islam Ep 02 Part 02: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37MaA4HONqs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyDWt-I0sno

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PNdkmG2oes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxjZeSh03hg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37MaA4HONqs


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Apart from the contradictory and often blatantly untrue claims about the dead, there are several

other aspects of the Report which bring its credibility, motive, and reliability into question:

First, cops’ lives do not matter to Odhikar: A Daily Star correspondent witnessed Hefazate Islam

radicals attacking a police officer with bricks near Alico building in Motijheel, killing him on the

spot. However, the Report makes no mention of that11;

Second, there was clear misrepresentation about Hefazate Islam and its objectives: The Report

describes Hefazate Islam as a “people’s platform”, a “non political and socio-cultural

organization”. It described the outfit’s objective as promoting “social dialogue to dispel

prejudices that affect community harmony and relations”. This could not be further from the

truth. Both description and objectives have been deliberately misrepresented to give a

perception which is simply untrue.

In reality, Hefazate Islam is a loose coalition of radical Islamist organizations who formed the

outfit primarily to demand “death penalty” or “hanging” of bloggers and online activists who they

claim have acted against Islam, and also to implement their so-called 13 points demand. Even

as recently as April 10, 2014, Hefazate Islam Chief Shah Ahmed Shafi reiterated their resolve to

cleanse Bangladesh of atheists and apostates12. Their outfit is known for harbouring elements

with direct and/or indirect links to international terrorism too13.

Their 13 points include demands to enact law providing death penalty for blasphemy; declaring

Ahmadiyas as non Muslims (something supported by Jamaat E Islami too); banning free mixing

between members of opposite gender in public; a ban on erecting sculptures or statues of any

kind throughout the country; cancelling the women’s policy (which gives women equal status in

11

“Odhikar Report on Hefajat Deaths: Questions Aplenty”, M Abul Kalam Azad, the Daily Star, September 1, 2013

[http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/questions-aplenty/] 12

“Shafi: Allah’s Bangladesh not for non believers”, the Dhaka Tribune, April 11, 2014

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2014/apr/11/shafi-atheists-cannot-live-bangladesh] 13

“Bangladesh Islamist militants maintain links with Al Qaeda”, the Dhaka Tribune, February 17, 2104

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2014/feb/17/bangladesh-islamist-militants-maintain-links-al-qaeda]


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all spheres of life with men) etc. It does not take much brain to understand that these demands

have no place in a modern, progressive and pluralist society.

In particular one should also be aware of the outfit’s chief’s views on women. According to

nonagenarian Shafi, women14:

i) Should not study beyond class 4/5

ii) Should not work outside;

iii) Should stay at home and guard their husband’s furniture;

iv) Are tamarind who will, if possible, make any man lust after her15

In order to get a clear view as to the workings of Hefazate Islam pre-May 5/6, the following

activities of the outfit can be considered as examples:

a) Assault of female journalists on April 6, 2013 simply for the crime of trying to cover a

Hefazate Islam rally while being women16!

b) Massacre of Awami League activists in Fatikchhari, Chittagong on April 11, 201317;

c) Attack on Gonojagoron Moncho at Shahbag on April 6, 201318;

d) Warning to implement Sharia, otherwise taking over Bangabhaban (official residence of

his Excellency the President of the Republic of Bangladesh)19;

14

http://bdlawpolgov.wordpress.com/2013/04/07/what-the-world-needs-to-know-about-hefazate-islam/ 15

“Sermon Shafi Style”, the Daily Star, 11 July, 2013 [http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/sermon-shafi-style/] 16

“Hefajat’s attacks on female journalists: Journos demand punishment”, the Daily Star, April 10, 2103

[http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/journos-demand-punishment/] 17

http://bdlawpolgov.wordpress.com/2014/04/11/remembering-the-mindless-fatikchhari-violence/ 18

“Hefazat E Islam clash with opponents”, the Dhaka Tribune, April 7, 2013

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/apr/07/hefazat-e-islam-clash-opponents] 19

“Hefazate Islam threatens to take over Bangabhaban”, April 28, 2013

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/apr/28/hefazat-e-islam-threatens-take-over-bangabhaban]


Page 7 of 16

e) Widespread destruction throughout May 5 afternoon, including the destruction of 800

small and medium shops in Baitul Mokarram and adjoining areas. Offices of banks,

political parties and government bodies were also not spared20. In fcat, the people who

claim to be the vanguards of Islam themselves burnt numerous Quran and other Islamic

books21;

And so on.

Third, there was gross misrepresentation regarding the Shahbag Movement: In the second

paragraph, the Report says that Hefazate Islam’s protest was “instigated by some bloggers and

activists that mobilised at the Shahbagh movement”, and who were making “vulgar, humiliating,

insulting and provocative remarks in the social media sites and blogs against Islam, Allah and

Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (pbuh).”

In reality the Shahbag Movement was a spontaneous movement which sprang up in February

2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh to demand the highest punishment for those who committed crimes

against humanity during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 197122.

The accusations that the leadership of the movement were “anti-Islam” and involved in

deliberate derogation of religion online have no basis whatsoever in reality and was first raised

and propagated as part of a smear campaign launched against the movement by Jamaat E

Islami Bangladesh’s student wing, Islami Chatro Shibir (the outfit which recently won the

20

“800 small, medium shops burnt, damaged in Hefazat rally”, the Dhaka Tribune, May 8, 2013

[http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2013/may/08/800-small-medium-shops-burnt-damaged-hefazat-rally] 21

“Hifazat burns Quran, Hadith in blind rage”, bdnews24.com, 6 May, 2013

[http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/05/06/hifazat-burns-quran-hadith-in-blind-rage] 22

“Huge Bangladesh Rally Seeks Death Penalty for War Crimes”, 8 February 2013 [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-

asia-21383632]


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accolade for being the 3rd23 most active non state armed group of 2013 according to IHS Jane’s

Global Terrorism & Insurgency Attack Index 24).

Fourth, Odhikar’s bias for zealots and/or against atheists: The Report at one point states: “In

some cases the Prophet was portrayed as a pornographic character, which infuriated people of

all walks of life.” The Report then clearly lied by stating that the government took no action

regarding these allegations. Quite the contrary, in response to such allegations, the government

took all possible steps as was reasonably practicable keeping in mind the need to preserve

freedom of expression online.

Nearly a dozen blogs have been shut down by the regulatory authority, Bangladesh

Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC). 4 bloggers were arrested allegedly for

hurting religious sentiments. Fanatics belonging to the same ideological mindset as Hefazate

Islam killed one blogger and injured another. The Report remains conspicuously silent on all

these matters.

Fifth, Odhikar sees dead witnesses at being more at risk than live ones: The Report didn’t give a

full list of the victims on the plea of security of their family members. When contacted by the

government and the media for a full list, they stuck with their justification. However, it is

interesting to note that they did reveal the identities of 3 people and the identities of 69 injured

people, none of whom have come under any risk since then till date.

Sixth, Odhikar misrepresented the statement of an eye witness journalist: According to the

Report, Odhikar interviewed an unnamed photojournalist who they claimed saw 16 bodies in

and around Shapla Chattar on May 5 night. They claimed that the said journalist first saw four

bodies wrapped in white cloth near the Hefajat stage, two near Modhumita Cinema Hall, seven

23

http://press.ihs.com/press-release/aerospace-defense-terrorism/global-terrorism-insurgency-attacks-rapidly-

increase-five- 24

ISH Jane’s Defence Weekly is one of the leading defence publications in the world

[http://www.ihs.com/products/janes/defence-business/news/defence-weekly.aspx]


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at Sonali Bank premises and one each at a petrol pump and in a pick-up van. They also claimed

that he said seeing two persons carrying a body.

The 4 dead bodies on stage were actually from the violence committed by Hefazate Islam and

Jamaat Shibir throughout the day in adjacent areas of Dhaka. Odhikar maliciously tried to put

those deaths on the late night law enforcement drive. When the newspaper Daily Star actually

managed to get in touch with the photojournalist whose name is Naim Parvej Apu of Banglar

Chokh, he said the Odhikar report did not mention a lot of things he said to them when they

approached him25.

Seventh, Odhikar failed to quote any major newspaper of Bangladesh: The law enforcement

drive on May 5 at Shapla Chattar was carried out openly in front of hundreds of members of the

press who were permitted access to all relevant locations immediately following the drive. All of

them carried detailed reports on what they witnessed happening. However, the Report does not

quote any one of them.

Unsurprisingly, therefore, this is what a senior journalist of Daily Star had to say on Odhikar’s

Report: “Odhikar’s fact-finding report…is a composition of half-truths, biased and one-sided

presentation of what happened on May 5 and in the early hours of May 6 in the capital…The

June 10 report says nothing about the destructive activities by Hefajat men, the involvement of

Jamaat-Shibir activists and their instigation of acts of violence. But it has elaborately described

the role of law enforcers and pro-ruling party men”26.

25


[http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/questions-aplenty/]

26


[http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/questions-aplenty/]


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Subsequently, in August 2013, after Adilur Rahman Khan was arrested, he told law enforcers

the human-rights body ‘does not presently have’ the list of the 61 people allegedly killed!27

To know why and how the midnight law enforcement drive was conducted on early 6 May, we

need to refer to the Bangladesh government Press Note on the subject issued on May 10,

201328. The Note is produced verbatim below for ready reference of anyone interested.

Press Note

The government has felt the necessity to unveil the concerned real happenings to dispel the prevailing

confusion among the members of the public centering some rumours like so-called mass-killing and

hiding bodies published or propagated by a section of the media about the aroused situation following

May 5 Dhaka seize and subsequent rally at Shapla Chattar by Hefajat-e-Islam.

An unregistered organization named Hefajat-e-Islam held a rally at Shapla Chattar on April 6 from where

the Dhaka Seize programme on May 5 was announced. As per their earlier announcement, they

organized staging seizure at six points around Dhaka city. Before one day of the rally, they [Hefajat]

sought permission of the government on May 4 for holding a rally at Shapla Chattar from 2 pm on May 5

in order to shorten their Dhaka Seize programme and enable to hold a 'Doa Mahfil' under the leadership

of their leader and Principal of Hathazari Madrasa, Maulana Shafi. Although there was no mention of

holding any rally inside Dhaka city in their earlier Dhaka Seize programme, the government,

demonstrating liberal democracy approach to hold the rally with condition that they would finish the

'Doa Mahfil' before 6 p.m.

But on May 5, the Hefajat activists from the very outset of their Dhaka Seize programme started

27

“Odhikar doesn’t have the list”, bdnews24.com, 12 August 2013

[http://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2013/08/12/odhikar-doesnt-have-the-list] 28

The Press Note can be viewed online at http://www1.bssnews.net/newsDetails.php?cat=0&id=330266&date=2013-

05-10


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assembling at the scheduled six points and simultaneously started pouring into Dhaka city and taking

possession at the Motijheel Shalpa Chattar. At the same time they took possessions surrounding Baitul

Mukarram area and locked in violent clashes and confrontation with the members of the law enforcing

agencies.

The unruly activists of Hefajat had started carrying out subversive activities. At one stage, they formed

massive assembly and started lootings, arsons and destructions. They started burning cars and vehicles

indiscriminately and set fire on the office of the Communist Party at Purana Paltan road. They looted

way shops of the hawkers , ransacked book shops and burnt stall of the holy Quoran by spreading petrol

from different directions. The bewildered Hefajat activists blazed shops of Jaynamaj, Tashbi and Caps set

up on the footpaths and made hundreds of poor working people poppers. The Hefajat activists attacked

on the House Building Finance Corporation and torched at least 11 valuable vehicles of the corporation.

The unruly activists beaten up and injured the fire brigade personnel and driven them away when they

reached on the spot to extinguish the fire. At noon, when the Hefajat activists in massive scale assembled

at the Shapla Chattar and Baitul Mukarram they became insane and locked the office of DC [Traffic] ,

East Zone of DMP from outside and finally torched it. As a result one police personal and the DC,

Motijheel were injured.

At one stage, they, at around noon, tried to launch attacks on Awami League office at Gulistan and

carried out massive destruction at Golap Shah Mazar. They attacked corporate branch of Janata Bank,

tried to loot and damaged an ATM booth at the ground floor of the building.

Besides, Eastern Bank and Bank Asia were attacked and ransacked. The unruly activists entered into the

bus depot of the government employees' welfare board at Motijheel and burned several dozens of busses

into ashes.


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They even did not spare beautifully decorated stadium, trees on the medians, road dividers, steel-

structures set up between the light-posts and dividers. Even solar light posts were also destroyed.

When the unprecedented looting and arson attacks were continuing at the capital's important business

and administrative centres, Awami League urged Hefajat-e-Islam at a press conference to leave the area

before dusk peacefully as per their commitment stopping destruction and vandalism.

But the Hefajat leaders did not pay any heed to it, rather they continued their illegal activities

desperately.

In the afternoon, their leader Ahmed Shafi started his journey towards the meeting of Shapla Chattar

from Lalbagh Madrasa where he was staying. But proceeding towards Shapla Chattar a little, he went

back after getting a phone-call from BNP's leadership level.

On the other hand, anarchy got intensified. When night progressed, BNP policymakers sat in an

emergency meeting. After the meeting, honorable leader Begum Khaleda Zia officially ordered party

leaders and activists to actively participate in the Hefajat-e- Islam's programme and urged the dwellers

of Dhaka city to extend cooperation to Hefajat activists.

In fact, it was known, BNP and Jamaat-Shibir activists were leading destructive activities from the very

beginning of the incident.

Hefajat activists cut down trees from road dividers and put up barricades placing these threes on the


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road, smashed dividers and continued to set fire on motor vehicles. They uprooted barbed fences and

iron-made dividers, created mass panic by creating fire incidents.

As the night was deepening, the city dwellers became panicked as some mass media continued to air

such horrifying activities and provocative statements. As a result, the countrymen had to pass time amid

extreme anxiety.

When the country was at the threshold of great disaster, the government elected by the people took

decision to evict safely the Hefajat activists involved in unruly and barbarous destructive activities to save

the country and lives and properties of the city people and to ensure security of the people from possible

unstable situation and anarchies.

This eviction drive became imperative to resist anarchies and to protect democracy, rule of law and mass

security. Finding no other way, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, RAB and BGB started eviction drive at around

2pm.

It was decided not to use deadly-weapons during the operation. Water cannons, sound grenades and

rubber bullets were used during the operation.

At the beginning of the operation, all were cautioned to leave the area by making repeated requests over

mike. Security forces started proceeding steadily from the direction of Arambagh and Dainik Bangla

crossing towards Shapla Chattar and steps were taken for safe exist of the people by keeping the road

facing the daily Ittefaq crossing open.


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Within 10 to 15 minutes of the beginning of the operation, the people left Shapla Chattar and moved

towards the Sayedabad- Jatrabari. Four dead bodies wrapped up in 'kafan' cloths were found beside the

podium. It was known from the police sources, a total of 11 people, including three pedestrians and a

police, were killed at different stages of the clashes throughout the day.

Against the backdrop of unrealistic and baseless rumors about losing lives of thousands of people, it is

the information for public that such rumors are completely untrue, fictitious and motivated. Because:

Ka) In no way it is possible to kill thousands of people and conceal their bodies in this age of free flow of

information and expansion of information technology. It is undeliverable at this time of mobile-phones,

email and internet.

Kha) If such mass killings would have taken place, certainly their families, relatives, friends would have

tried to search for their near and dear ones and it was attracted attention of the mass media. But any

quarter could not present any example in this regard. So it is proved that the matter of losing lives of a

lot of people is untrue and completely motivated rumors.

Ga) A good number of media people with TV and still cameras were present during the operation and

they watched and telecast the entire incident. Many people from high-rise buildings watched the incident

and took snap-shots. But there were no pictures of using deadly weapons. So losing of huge lives is a

publicity of a vested quarter.

Rather, the reality is that the disciplined law- enforcement personnel conducted the operation in a


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planned manner and maintaining outmost tolerance. During the operation, the law enforcement

members rescued those who took shelter in lanes and by-lanes and shown them safe exists.

Among them, many were children and adolescents who came to Dhaka city for the first time in their life.

They were being showed paths by the members of law enforcers towards their destinations was seen in

TV telecasting. There was no evidence in news and photographs that anybody was harassed or

humiliated during the operation.

(Gha) On behalf of police and BGB, the news published in media that many people were killed, were

identified as motivated, untrue, illogical and baseless.

Being driven out from the Shapla Chhatar, the Hefajat-e- Islam activists were tried to gather on the

Dhaka-Chittagong highway again.

They put barricade on the road from the morning on the next day on May 06. At the same time, they

started torching vehicles on the road indiscriminately. The BNP-Jamaat workers joined the destructive

activities in line with directives.

The destruction created havoc at Kanchpur, Signboard, Shimrail, Sanarpar, Kuwait market and

Madaninagar areas under Narayanganj district.

They assembled people centering the Madaninagar Madrasha by spreading rumors through laud

speakers from the nearby mosques and launched attack on law enforcement agencies.


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Two police-Nayek Firoz and constable Zakaria- and two BGB members-Shah Alam and Lavelu- sustained

serious injuries as they tried to prevent their planned attacks and later they died in hospital.

At that time, it was known that 13 people were died at various levels during the atrocities. When the

situation took into a serious turn, more forces were deployed to take them away and bring the situation

under control.

News & Politics

Lies and Propaganda