Hefajat 'denied permission' for Iftar party

20 July 2013, 15:37 PM

Star Online Report

Hefajat-e Islam leaders on Saturday claimed Dhaka Metropolitan Police did not give them permission to arrange an Iftar party Sunday at Hotel Imperial at city’s Bangabandhu Avenue. DMP however told The Daily Star they did not receive any application from the madrasa based Islamist party seeking permission to organize the Iftar party. Hefajat leaders circulated a leaflet at the Iftar party hosted by Jamaat-e-Islami at city’s Ruposhi Bangla Hotel on Saturday which wrote the present atheist government did not give them permission to arrange an Iftar party at the said hotel in honour of leaders of different political party and Alem-Ulema. Talking to The Daily Star, a Hefajat Dhaka city Nayeb-e-Ameer Abul Hasanat, also vice-chairman of Islami Oikya Jote, a component in the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance said, “the hotel authority on Saturday informed us that Paltan Police Station has threatened them of arresting their staffs including owner of the Hotel Imperial if they (the hotel authority) give permission to us for holding any Iftar party.” “That’s why the hotel authority on Saturday informed us their inability to give us permission to arrange the Iftar programme,” said another Hefajat, Dhaka city leader. Talking to this correspondent, Hefajat leaders said they have already invited top leaders of different political party except ruling Awami League-led grand alliance. Hefajat leaders however said they have invited Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad, although he belongs to the ruling alliance. “We will wait till Sunday morning for permission. And we will express our next course of action later through a press conference if the government finally does not give us the permission,” Hasanat added. Asked Assistant Commissioner of DMP Abu Yousuf said he was not aware of any such incident that Hefajat sought permission to DMP for holding an Iftar party at Hotel Imperial. Officer-in-Charge of Paltan Police Station Golam Sarwar also echoed Abu Yousuf.