Hefazat Workers Create Chaos at Ramna Park After Rally

Staff Correspondent

Radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam held a rally in Dhaka on Saturday, but their workers later created disorder at Ramna Park.

Videos and photos circulating on social media showed Hefazat activists roaming freely through the park. Some were seen hanging from trees, lying on the grass, or busy taking selfies. Though attending a political program, they seemed more interested in leisure activities.

Reports indicate Hefazat workers rode boats in the park’s lake without paying fares. When park staff demanded payment, the activists allegedly misbehaved with them and nearly came to blows, according to eyewitnesses.

Regular park visitors, especially women, expressed extreme annoyance at their activities on Saturday morning. Park employees said the activists took boats from the eastern side to the western shore without paying, then left the boats floating in the lake.

Visitors complained that Hefazat members urinated indiscriminately throughout the park instead of using designated toilets, causing embarrassment to morning walkers. Ansar members present at the park reportedly stood by helplessly.

Hefazat’s mass gathering at Suhrawardy Udyan began at 9am on Saturday and concluded at 1pm with prayers by their leader Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari.