Three Hefajat-e-Islam leaders were arrested in connection the cases filed over violence in 2013 and March this year, and four more, including three top Hefajat leaders, were placed on remand yesterday.

The Detective Branch of police yesterday arrested Hefajat's Assistant Secretary General and Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Nayeb-e-Amir Khurshid Alam Kasemi from his house in the capital's Mohammadpur yesterday afternoon, said Mahbub Alam, joint commissioner (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Khelafat Majlish's Joint Secretary Mufti Sharafat Hossain was held from Mirpur area around 5:00pm. He was involved in the Hefajat's violence in 2013 and March this year, Mashiur Rahman, deputy commissioner (DB-Gulshan) of DMP, told The Daily Star.

Rab arrested Hefajat's Assistant Organising Secretary Ataullah Ameen from Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasa in Mohammadpur early yesterday.

He was held in connection with the cases filed over violence by the Qawmi madrasa-based organisation in 2013.

So far, 13 top leaders of Hefajat, including its Joint Secretary General Maulana Mamunul Haque, have been arrested.

In another development, police arrested 11 more people, including organising secretary of Brahmanbaria Jubo Dal Hasmat Khandaker, in connection with plotting the attack on Brahmanbaria police lines during Hefajat's strike on March 28.

REMAND

Rafiqul Islam Madani, widely known as "Shishu Bokta" Madani, was placed on remand in two cases filed with Motijheel and Tejgaon police stations.

He was on a four-day remand in a case filed with Motijheel Police Station over the violence on March 25 this year and a five-day remand in a case filed under the Digital Security Act with Tejgaon Police Station.

On April 7, Rab held him from his ancestral home in Netrakona's Purbatola area.

Joint Secretary General of Khelafat Majlish Maulana Korban Ali Kasemi, also vice-president of Hefajat Dhaka Mahanagar committee, and Assistant Secretary General of Hefajat Mufti Shakhawat Hossain Razi were placed on a seven-day and a 21-day remand respectively.

Both Kasemi and Shakhawat were on remand in cases filed with Paltan Police Station over the 2013 mayhem in Dhaka.

Hefajat Assistant Secretary General Maulana Monzurul Islam Afendi was placed on a 14-day remand in two cases lodged with the same police station over the recent violence in March while protesting against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

The four were placed on remand by Dhaka courts.

BRAHMANBARIA CASE

Jubo Dal leader Hasmat, 49, of Ghatura village in Brahmanbaria Sadar upazila, is the prime accused in the police lines attack case, said a press release of Special Branch of district police.

Police have so far arrested 328 people, including 287 activists and supporters of Hefajat, 38 BNP activists and three Jamaat-Shibir activists in the cases filed for violence.

According to police sources, activists of Hefajat carried out massive vandalism, arson attacks and violence across Brahmanbaria from March 26 to 28.

Contacted, Roish Uddin, additional superintendent (crime and administration) of Brahmanbaria police, told this paper that police started identifying the accused by scrutinising photos and CCTV footage.

Government and private establishments were vandalised and set on fire.

Following the violence, 56 cases have been lodged against 39,000 people naming only 414 people.

Of the cases, 49 are filed with Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, four with Ashuganj Police Station, two with Sarail Police Station and one with Akhaura Railway Police Station.

[Our Brahmanbaria correspondent contributed to this report]