Hefazat leader arrested over Mamunul resort scandal dies

The main accused in the case filed over the violence that ensued following the Mamunul Haque resort scandal in Narayanganj has died in jail.

Hefazat leader Maulana Iqbal Hossain breathed his last while undergoing treatment at the ICU of Sir Salimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital at around 3pm on Thursday.

The body of the deceased has been kept at the hospital’s morgue. 

The 62-year-old vice president of the now-defunct committee of the hardline Islamist organization’s Sonargaon upazila unit fell ill on May 11.

Maulana Iqbal, who was also the president of Khelafat Majlis (Sonargaon unit), had been confined at Narayanganj District Jail since his arrest on April 11.

Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Narayanganj District Jail Superintendent Mahbubul Alam, said: “Iqbal fell ill on May 11 and was first treated at Sadar General Hospital. He was later admitted to Mitford Hospital on the suggestion of doctors. He was being treated under our supervision.”

“He died at around 3pm today. I am yet to be briefed about the cause of his death.” 

According to sources, Maulana Iqbal is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son. 

Contacted by Dhaka Tribune, Mahbuba, the eldest daughter of the Hefazat leader, said: “We were informed in the morning that our father had fallen very ill. After coming here (the hospital) we found him in the ICU. He was declared dead at 3pm.”

“My father was innocent. He has been killed,” she claimed.

On the afternoon of April 3, Hefazat bigwig Mamunul Haque was held at the resort with a woman, who he said was his "second wife". He was found at Room No 501 of Royal Resort, which he had hired.

The local UNO and senior police officers went to the resort on hearing about the incident. Police said at the time Mamunul was not being detained or arrested and that they were trying to find out what had happened.

Hours later, stick-wielding Hefazat supporters launched an attack on the resort. They vandalized it and snatched Mamunul from police custody.

They also blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway, vandalized and torched vehicles in protest against what they said was harassment of the Islamist leader. At the same time, Hefazat activists attacked and vandalized the local Awami League office. 

Later on April 11, a team of RAB 11 arrested Maulana Iqbal from the capital’s Jurain area. He was then handed over to the Sonargaon police station.

The next day, a Narayanganj court remanded Maulana Iqbal for three days in two cases filed over the atrocities carried out by Hefazat men and Mamunul’s supporters at the Narayanganj resort.