The Environment and Forest Minister says the government has ‘already fulfilled several demands’ of the Hifazat-e Islam.
“The government is open to consider demands which are logical,” Hasan Mahmud said on Sunday.
Little-known Hifazat organised a long march from Chittagong to Dhaka on Friday and a rally in the capital on Saturday where they presented their 13-point charter of demands.
The demands include detention and punishment of the ‘atheist’ bloggers of Shahbagh’s Ganajagaran Mancha.
Minister Mahmud said the government had already taken various steps to prevent defaming Islam and Prophet Muhammad. He said a committee had been formed with two leading Islamic scholars to take actions against those posting objectionable comments on Facebook and blogs.
“Several bloggers have already been detained,” he said.
Mahmud said they had announced amending of laws by which a person could be punished for defaming Islam and the Prophet.
Supposedly backed by the Jamaat-e-Islami, Hifazat has threatened to besiege the capital Dhaka on May 5 to press for their demands. The radical group has also called for a countrywide daylong shutdown for Monday.
‘Mistakes’ in the textbooks have been amended in line with Hifazat’s demand, the minister said.
He, like Home Minister MK Alamgir, also thanked the radical group for holding its rally ‘peacefully’ on Saturday.
Mahmud, also the ruling Awami League’s Publicity and Publication Secretary, criticised the BNP for allegedly trying to ‘manipulate’ the Hifazat for political purposes.
Although the Chittagong-based group has been insisting it is not a political party and that its Saturday rally was ‘non-political’, a BNP delegation was seen at the rally podium to express solidarity.
Ruling coalition member Jatiya Party had also expressed solidarity by sending a delegation to the rally. Apart from them, several leaders of the BNP-led opposition alliance were seen delivering speeches at the rally.
Source: bdnews24
