1 killed, 50 injured in clashes over Sayeedi’s Gayebana Janaza

Published August 16, 2023 · Updated August 16, 2023

Activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student front of the Jamaat-e-Islami, have clashed with a ruling party-backed group and police at the Baitul Mukarram national mosque in Dhaka over gayebana janaza of Jamaat leader Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayeedi.

Staff Reporter :

At least one person was killed and about 50 others injured after clashes erupted in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, over the Gayebana Janaza (funeral in absentia) and burial of Jamaat leader Maulana Delawar Hossain Sayeedi, who passed away on Monday night at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
In Cox’s Bazar, a man was killed and 15 others, including police officers, were injured and a police car was vandalized in clashes between Jamaat-e-Islami activists and police over Jamaat’s attempt to hold an absentee funeral prayer for Delawar Hossain Sayedee in Cox’s Bazar’s Chakaria and Pekua areas yesterday.
The deceased has been identified as Forkanur Rahman, 45, son of one Abdul
Fazal of Chakaria municipality, a local Jamaat activist of the district.
Cox’s Bazar Superintendent of Police Md Mahfuzur Rahman confirmed the matter to the media and said that several vehicles including police vans were also vandalised during the clash.
Meanwhile, in Chattogram, the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami clashed with police when the law enforcers barred them from holding a Gayebana Janaza, leaving at least 15 people injured and over 20 arrested.
In Dhaka, Jamaat supporters clashed with police in the capital’s Shahbag when Sayeedi’s body was being moved to Pirojpur earlier in the morning.
Demanding his first namaz-e-janaza to be held in Dhaka, supporters of Sayeedi blocked the ambulance carrying his body as it attempted to leave BSMMU for Pirojpur at 3am on Tuesday.
At 5am, supporters of Sayeedi got into a clash with police. The ambulance later left for Pirojpur at around 5:30am with the help of police.
Another clash erupted between Jamaat and police in front of the National mosque Baitul Mokarram centering the Gayebana Janaza after Zahor prayers. Several people were arrested and many others injured during the clash.
Meanwhile, in Khulna, protests have started against the decision to bury the body of Delwar Hossain Sayeedi in Khulna.
The protest started around 11pm yesterday at Darul Quran Siddiqia Kamil madrasa in Siddiqia Mohalla under Sonadanga police station in Khulna city. It is widely known as the madrasa of “Sayeedi Saheb” in Khulna.
On Tuesday morning, protesters said they came to know that the body will be buried in the graveyard on the madrasa premises. They said Sayeedi’s body will not be allowed to be buried in the graveyard as he had been convicted as a war criminal. \