Source: BD News 24.

By Moinul Hoque Chowdhury

Hifazat-e Islam’s Dhaka blockade is a demonstration of the muscle power of religion-driven politics, but under a non-political banner in a year when parliament elections are due, political analysts say.

Photo: BBC Uk.

The radical Islamist organisation enforced the Dhaka blockade within a month of its successful ‘Long March’.

Political analysts say several small religious parties, which had earlier failed to draw public attention, have now come together under the Hifazat’s banner .

The Chittagong-based Hifazat, an organisation of madrasa teachers and students, held a huge rally in Dhaka on Apr 6, from where its leaders raised a 13-point charter of demands.

Political scientist Harun-or-Rashid, told bdnews24.com: “Hifazat is in no way devoid of politics. Check the background of its leaders and you will find they were involved in politics.”

“Now they (the parties) are trying to draw the people by playing up bringing religious passions through madrasa and mosque-based campaign,” Rashid said.

Professor Harun, now the Vice Chancellor of the National University, described Hifazat’s apparent new non-political look ‘a disguise’.

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