As reported by this daily on Tuesday, Two sedition cases have been filed against Hefajat-e-Islam Ameer Junayed Babunagari, acting secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish Maolana Muhammad Mamunul Haque and Islami Andalan Bangladesh nayeb-e-ameer Syed Fazlul Karim.
Reportedly, the plaintiff in the case alleged that Mamunul at a function in capital’s BMA Bhaban on November 13 had threatened to lay seize at Shapla Chattar area, while Syed Fazlul Karim at a separate programme in Dholaikhal area, had called for jihad to stop construction of Bangabandhu’s sculpture, he even threatened to throw the sculpture in Buriganga. Also, Junayed Babunagari in another programme at Hathazari in Chattogram had allegedly threatened repeating a Shapla Chattar blockade and tearing down the sculpture of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Those who use religious sentiment
as an instrument to create
violence must not be spared
We condemn such futile rhetoric of Hefazat and Khelafat's top brass. It needs no mentioning that by issuing such threat, they are trying to hatch a conspiracy against the state. What they said is unexpected and pointless. Indeed, such an approach exposes their lack of acumen in terms of using rhetoric.
In Bangladesh, religious sentiments have long been used as a tool to create violence by the anti-liberation forces. Dissent and criticism are essential to democracy, and strongly recommended that law enforcement agencies use the sedition law judiciously and only when it is evident that the accused aims to disrupt public order and overthrow the government by use of violence.
Hefazat and Khelafat's top brass are trying to incite communal hatred, hinder the country’s development and defame the government. When inciting communal hatred plays the role of sedition, we must devise necessary actions to hold those persons to account who are responsible for instigating people against the government. Those who use religious sentiment as an instrument to create violence must not be spared.