Accusing the government of creating a volatile situation in the country by letting loose anti-Islam bloggers, the BNP led-18-party alliance on Tuesday extended its full moral support to Alem and Ulema’s all justified demands to stop the profane campaign against Islam.
“The Alem and Ulema and Islamic saints have already expressed deep concern over the anti-Islamic campaign by some spoiled bloggers. They demanded the government take legal action against those anti-Islamic bloggers and effective measures against the programmes and campaigns being carried out against the religion,” said BNP spokesperson Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
“We extend our full moral support to their all the justified demands,” he added.
Addressing a post-hartal press briefing at the BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, the BNP leader, on behalf of the 18-party, landed the support to the Islamic scholars’ demands.
Fakhrul, however, parried repeated quarries whether the 18-party has extended support to Hefazat-e-Islam’s April 6 long march to Dhaka, saying, “We clearly state we’ve given our support to their all demands.”
The BNP acting secretary general alleged that some spoiled bloggers have been hurting the religious sentiment of the country’s majority people by making indecent and vulgar remarks.
“Hurting the religious sentiment of the country’s majority people and making offensive remarks against the Allah, Muhammed (pbuh) and the Holy Quran are interventions in religious freedom. Their (bloggers) such activities are a serious threat to peace, stability and religious harmony, which is totally unacceptable,” he said.
When Fakhrul’s attention was drawn to the arrest of three bloggers, he said they are in doubt whether the arrest was made as mere eyewash to tackle the evolving situation. “We don’t know whether they’re key bloggers. We need to look into it.”
Plainclothes police arrested three bloggers –Moshiur Rahman Biplob, 42, (online pseudonym ‘Allama Shaitan’), ex- student of Dhaka university Russell Parvez, 36, (‘Apobak’) and Subrata Shuvo, 25, (`Lalu Kasai’)– from different areas of the city earlier in the morning for their controversial write-ups against religion, especially Islam.
Categorically mentioning that BNP does not want to make it a political issue, he said, “We want no one to hurt the religious sentiment and belief.”
Charging the government with pampering the anti-Islamic campaigners, the BNP leader said the government has created an appalling situation in the country by letting loose the bloggers.
About hartal, Fakhrul said it was observed across the country with the spontaneous participation of people.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance enforced the nationwide daylong shutdown as their various demands, including the release of its leaders and activists arrested on March 11, went unheeded.
The hartal was also meant for pushing for their demand for restoring the caretaker government system and protesting the recent ‘mass killing’ and the government’s failures.
Fakhrul claimed that two hartal supporters were killed and over 206 opposition activists arrested across the country during the hartal hours on Tuesday. “Over 382 were injured in attacks by law enforcers and ruling party cadres while 500 BNP men implicated in false cases.”
He said people have started taking to the streets to protect their basic rights despite repression and police atrocities.
Accusing the law enforcers of killing people indiscriminately, he said the new names are being included in the list of those killed by police and Rab members.
Reacting to the minister’s threat to bring charges against BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia for instigating hartal violence, Fakhrul said the government will not be able to stop the movement by filing ‘false’ cases.
He alleged that an anarchic situation has been created in the country as one person (Hsaina) holds all the power of the country’s legislative, executive and judiciary.
The BNP leader called upon the government to quit and hold the next general election under a non-party caretaker government.
He also demanded immediate release of its all leaders and activists and withdrawal of all cases filed against the.
Source: UNB Connect
