A six-member delegation led by Maulana Nurul Islam Jehadi, secretary general of the defunct Hefazat-e-Islam Committee and member secretary of the current convening committee, went to Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal’s residence to meet him.
They entered the minister's Dhanmondi residence at 9:20pm and left around midnight on Tuesday, reports Bangla Tribune.
Hefazat leader and Befaqul Madarisil Arabia Bangladesh (Befaq) Secretary General Mahfuzul Haque, principal Mohammad Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury and Ataullah Hafizi were also in the delegation.
Mahfuzul Haque is the brother of imprisoned Hefazat leader Mamunul Haque.
State Minister for Religion Faridul Haque Khan was also present at the residence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
Also read - Top Hefazat leaders meet home minister
In a letter, sent to the home ministry on Tuesday, the Hefazat leaders requested for speedy release of the party’s activists, who were arrested following Hefazat protest against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in late March. Their staged demonstrations in Dhaka and elsewhere caused multiple casualties
They also requested to stop the ongoing arrests, especially in Chittagong’s Hathazari and Brahmanbaria.
Earlier, the Hefazat leaders met the home minister on the night of April 19 with a similar request.
The leaders also said in the letter that all the cases filed against the leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam in 2013 should be withdrawn as per the previous discussion. They also asked to make arrangement for reopening Qawmi Madrasas which were closed under the direction of the government.
On May 5, 2013, Hefazat laid siege to Dhaka's Shapla Chattar area unleashing inexpressible atrocities in and around the capital.
