Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh • Hefajat-e-Islam Bangladesh (Bengali: হেফাজতে ইসলাম বাংলাদেশ;) also known as Hifazat-e-Islam Bangladesh is an association based fundamentalist Islamic group in Bangladesh, was formed in January 2010. This group was formed in 2010 to protest against the secular education policy of Bangladeshi government. In 2011, they held violent demonstrations against the women's equal rights policy of the government and in 2013, and became headlines after holding large rallies asking the government to take action against the Shahbag protesters, who are demanding capital punishment of Bangladesh liberation war criminals. In 2013 this group warned the government with a 13-point charter, which includes banning the right of women to work outside, execution of so-called atheist bloggers and stopping Shahbag protests. Although, the German ambassador in Bangladesh Albrecht Conze opined that Hifazat's demands fundamentalism in Bangladesh, diplomats from the US Embassy in Bangladesh met with the leaders of Hefazat. Long march in April On April 6, 2013, Hefajat-e-Islam organized a long march towards the Motijheel area in Dhaka from Chittagong, Sylhet and Rajshahi to push for their 13-point demand. Awami League leader Nowsher Khan has died of head injuries during a clash between his party activists and those of Hifazat-e Islam at Bhanga in Faridpur district. Hefajat supporters also attacked at a rally of Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in Dhaka from their procession, and several people including a policeman were injured in an attack. Hefajat supporters also attacked on Projonmo Chattar in Shahbag, which injured Professor Afsar Ahmed, the ProVC of Jahangirnagar University. They threatened the journalists, and even beat a female journalist from Ekushey TV, named Nadia Sharmin. May 5 violence On May 5, 2013, Hefajat arranged a siege and rally at the capital city, Dhaka in the demand of their 13-points. They attacked the Communist Party of Bangladesh's office atMotijheel and burnt it. The supporters of the Hefajat-e Islam vandalized and torched at least 50 vehicles and several buildings during their rally at Motijheel. A clash was also carried out by them in front of the ruling party Awami League's headquarter at Paltan, Dhaka. Hefajat supporters set fire to book stores located beside the south gate of the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram during their program, inadvertently burning copies of Quran and Hadith. They also assaulted two on-duty television journalists working for private channels before the rally. Because of their violent act during the rally, top leaders of the Hefajat-e Islam have been accused in 12 cases of murder, vandalism, arson and destruction of properties and other charges. In the early hours of 6 May security forces, drawn from police, the elite Rapid Action Battalion and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh jointly launched an operation named2013 Operation at Motijheel Shapla Chattar to prevent Hefazat's violence by driving them out from Dhaka. At the beginning of operation, police cut the power supply in the city’s commercial area, but the total operation was live telecaste over few TV channel. 2 Television channels were stopped by government for broadcasting misleading informations. Hefajat activists continued to strike in Narayanganj, Hathazari and Bagerhat on Monday morning, hours after Hefajat men were flushed out of the capital’s Motijheel area resulting death of at least 27 people including two policemen and a BGB soldier. During the clash Hefajat men hurled cocktails, vandalized and torched vehicles, set fire to a police outpost on the highway. Some sources confirm that at least 38 people were died, which is also rejected by government. According to government estimates, the number of casualties in this operation was 11, including a few law enforcement members. Hefazat-e-Islam claims that thousands of their members were killed; Human Rights Watch rebutted that claim. A local media named "Independent" reported the total number of deaths to be over 30, and possibly up to 50. According to different media sources, the death toll rose to 27, including some law enforcement forces. Twenty of the victims, including two policemen and a BGB soldier, were killed in Narayanganj, and six were killed in Hathazari in Chittagong. The government has filed 12 cases against top leaders of the Hefajat-e Islam for murder, vandalism, arson and destruction of properties and other charges. Because of the differing views, Human Rights Watch called for an independent body to investigate the protest deaths, the poet and activist Farhad Mazhar said the government and media were making a cover-up and disinformation campaign. Hefazat claimed thousands of their men died on this operation which has not been supported by the free press, Human Rights Watch, Odhikar's June report, or the government.