Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has called on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to ensure justice for the killings that occurred on May 5, 2013, at Dhaka’s Motijheel Shapla Chattar. In a statement issued to the media on Saturday, the group’s Amir Allama Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Allama Sajedur Rahman described the incident as a planned massacre by the then government, claiming that countless religious people were killed and thousands of scholars and devotees were injured. They also urged supporters to organize prayers and discussions nationwide in memory of those killed.

The Hefazat leaders said a case filed by the organization against 54 individuals, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, is currently pending before the International Crimes Tribunal. They demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible, asserting that justice is essential for upholding fairness in the country. The statement further criticized past political failures and alleged that silence from sections of society had enabled the rise of authoritarianism.

The leaders warned that if the current government fails to protect citizens’ dignity, security, and religious sentiments, it risks losing public support.