Hasina steps up crackdown against Islamists accused of anti-Modi protests

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The Bangladesh authorities are continuing with their crackdown on leaders of the militant outfit Hefazat e Islam (HeI), which was responsible for violence in the country just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Dhaka last month.</p>
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On Thursday morning, Khaled Saifullah Ayubi, joint secretary general of Hefajat's central committee was arrested from his home at Manikganj despite efforts by the outfit to come to an understating with the government.</p>
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A team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) – the anti-terrorism unit of Bangladesh Police arrested Saifullah– was an accused in a case related to violence in March, the Daily Star reported.</p>
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Islamist groups are posing a threat to Bangladesh's inclusive cultural identity, driven more by Bengal's progressive heritage of music, poetry and gender equality. Writings of intellectual and cultural icons such as Rabindrnath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam have played a seminal role in mainstreaming a common culture on either side of the border of India and Bangladesh.</p>
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Meanwhile, another top leader of HeI Mamunul Haque, who is in police custody, has confessed to inciting violence in the country against last month during Modi’s visit.</p>
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The Bangladesh authorities under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have taken a tough stand against the HeI. In fact, earlier in the week, top leaders of the outfit met the country’s home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at his residence in Dhaka. Besides, they also held a meeting with an intelligence agency in a bid to come to an agreement to ensure that no more leaders of the group are arrested. </p>
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In recent times, several HeI leaders, including those in the top rung like Mamunul Haque, Rafiqul Islam Madani, who was known as "shishu bokta" and Junaid Al Habib, been arrested in connection of violence.</p>
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Earlier, while Hefazat chief Junaid Babunagari issued a statement on social media saying that the cases filed against the leaders are false, he also asked leaders and activists of his group to be patient and refrain from creating chaos.</p>