Police file 150 new cases against Hefazat

bdnews24.com :
Police are going to investigate 150 cases over Hefazat-e Islam’s recent violence while many of the 83 cases started over mayhem centring its gathering in Dhaka’s Motijheel eight years ago remain unresolved.
Top officials say the investigations have not ended because gathering evidence in these “extensive” cases is taking time.
The Police Headquarters are asking the investigators of the old cases to finish within a month as workload has increased with the addition of the new cases.
State prosecutors cited witnesses not turning up as the reason behind the delay in trial of the cases that have seen the investigations completed.
Launched in 2010 by opposing the government’s policies on education and women empowerment, Hifazat burst onto the scene in 2013 when it called for counter-protests against demonstrations by Ganajagaran  
Mancha, which came into being with the demand for maximum punishment of war crimes convicts.
The radical Islamist group carried out the mayhem centring Motijheel’s Shapla Chattar on May 5 in 2013 after announcing counter-demonstration denouncing bloggers. The law-enforcing agencies later flushed out the extremists from the streets.
Haider Ali Khan, a deputy inspector general, said 53 cases have been initiated over the violence in Dhaka and 30 others elsewhere. Police have formally charged the accused in 29 of the cases and submitted final reports in four others after failing to identify the suspects.
“Investigations into the other cases are ongoing,” said DIG Haider. Haider also said they received a directive from the top brass to conclude investigations within a month.
After the 2013 episode, the government action against Hifazat gradually became less intense. Critics alleged the ruling Awami League had reached an agreement with the radical outfit at the time.
After the recent violence centring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to join the celebrations of Bangladesh’s 50th anniversary, senior Awami League leader Tofail Ahmed admitted that “effective steps” had not been taken in the aftermath of the group’s 2013 mayhem.