Staff Reporter :
Thousands of Muslims across the country including the capital on Friday protested against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders’ derogatory remarks insulting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Chanting slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have urged the government of Bangladesh to bring a motion in the current session of the parliament to condemn their remarks.
They have also urged all to boycott the Indian products as a mark of protest and demanded punishment of the BJP leaders.
The Muslims after Jumma prayers brought out a number of protest rallies in different parts of the capital including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, Old Dhaka, Tejgaon area, Dhaka University and Jagannath University premises to express their condemnation.
Such protest rallies were also brought out elsewhere in the country including Sylhet, Tangail, Mymensign and Patuakhali.
Islami Andolan Bangladesh, an Islamic political party, held a rally on the Baitul Mukarram premises and urged the government of Bangladesh to bring a motion in the parliament to condemn such incident.
The Islamic leaders said that they would bring out mass rally towards the Indian High Commission in the capital on Thursday and submit memorandum of understanding if the responsible persons were not brought under trial.
Islamic Andolon Ameer Syed Muhammad Fayzul Karim at the rally said, “The current government is mad for wealth and power. So, the government is not protesting the incident. But remember, Modi government cannot protect your chair. People of the country will not keep you in power.”
“If the government does not bring a motion in the parliament to condemn the incident, if the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka is not summoned for explanation, if the responsible persons are not tried, we will bring out a procession towards the High Commission on June 16,” he warned.
“Out Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is not only for the Arab world, he is a blessing for the whole world. How do you dare make bad remarks?” he asserted.
Censuring the incumbent government, he said, “Modi cannot save your power. You did not bring a motion in the parliament yet. If the people rise up, none can save your power. You are mad for power, but we are mad for our Prophet.”
After the rally at the Baitul Mukarram, thousands of Islamic Andolon leaders and activists brought out a procession and marched towards Nightingale intersection.
Holding placards with the writing ‘boycott Indian products’, the protesters chanted anti-Indian slogans.
Earlier on Wednesday, Islamic Andolan Bangladesh announced holding protest rallies across the country on Friday.
Meanwhile, students of Dhaka University and Jagannath University brought out separate processions in their respective campuses condemning the BJP Leaders’ remarks.
After marching the campuses, the students urged all to boycott Indian products as a mark of protest.
They also have demanded immediate arrest of the BJP leaders and bring them under trial immediately.
Meanwhile, several hundred Muslims from a number of Mosques in Tejgaon area brought out processions protesting the incident.
The Khatib of the Rahim Metal Jame Masjid said, “The government of Bangladesh will have to protest the incident in two ways. First, summon the Indian High Commissioner for explanation of the incident. Second, table a motion in the parliament by condemning the remarks.”
Khatib Al Amin of Lichubagan Masjid said, “We expected the government to protest it. But unfortunately they did not do so far.”
Meanwhile, protests rallies were also held in different districts including Sylhet, Tangail and Mymensingh to condemn the remarks.
Sylhet Bureau : Thousands of Muslims held a demonstration in Sylhet protesting the recent derogatory remarks insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by two former BJP spokespersons.
The rallies were held before Sylhet Court Point, Sylhet Central Jame Mosque and Dargahe Hazrat Shahjalal Jame Mosque after Jumma prayers on Friday.
Sylhet district Islami Andolan Bangladesh and Metropolitan Branch brought out the protest procession from the Sylhet Central Jame Mosque and marched different streets of the city before ending it at Chauhatta Point.
Advocate Maulana Mahmudul Hasan, Central Co-Organizing Secretary of Islami Andolan Bangladesh, spoke as the Chief Guest at the protest rally while Sylhet Metropolitan President Alhaj Nazir Ahmed chaired it.
“The BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Delhi branch media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal had hurt the hearts of Muslims by insulting the Prophet (PBUH). It has caused the bloodshed of two billion Muslims in the world, which Muslims can never accept,” Maulana Hasan said.
The speakers said that it was a matter of great regret and shame that when Muslim world is protesting and boycotting Indian products, the Bangladesh government has not yet protested it for some mysterious reasons. They said that it is shameful and urged the government to protest.
The speakers further said that such heinous remarks of the BJP leaders were an expression of communalism of the Indian government. Such remarks tend to provoke communal riots.
Meanwhile, Jubo Jamiyat Bangladesh Sylhet Metropolitan Branch brought out a protest procession from the Central Jame Mosque in Bandarbazar of the city and marched various streets before ending the procession at Surma Point.
In Tangail, hundreds of Muslims from a number of Mosques in Mirzapur brought out processions protesting the derogatory remarks. They have also demanded exemplary punishment of the BJP leaders.
In Mymensingh, hundreds of Muslims in different upazilas including Mymensingh Sadar, Bhaluka, Gafargaon and Ishwarganj brought out processions and condemned the incident and demanded punishment of BJP leaders.
Earlier, BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and Delhi branch media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal made derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Such remarks sparked widespread protest in the Muslim countries especially the Arab world.
The Muslim countries condemned the incident and boycotted Indian products as a sign of protest.
However, Nupur Sharma was suspended from her post while Jindal was expelled from the party. Nearly two weeks later Indian government filed a case against her.
