Amini's comments tantamount to treason
Say members of civil society
Leading members of civil society blasted controversial leader of a faction of Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Fazlul Haque Amini yesterday for his “audacious” comments about the Women Development Policy.
“Amini's comments are very objectionable and tantamount to treason for denial of the constitution,” noted educationist Prof Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said as politicians belonging to different parties earlier demanded his arrest for threat to use madrasas to paralyse the country.
He said Amini took a direct stand against the constitution which guarantees equal rights of all irrespective of their gender.
Several other distinguished people including academics echoed him saying the government should immediately act to contain religious bigots like Amini with iron hand in the interest of the country's peace, progress and prosperity.
Amini recently threatened to paralyse the country using 20,000 madrasas across the country if the Women Development Policy was not scrapped as his group was trying to spearhead a campaign against the policy calling it anti-Islamic, disagreeing with leading Islamic scholars' observations and government clarifications.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said Aminis's comments regarding the women policy clearly aimed at creating disorder and anarchy in the country which is a “serious crime”.
“There is nothing in the Women Development Policy that goes against the holy Quran and Sunnah. But, religious fanatics led by Amini are out to create disorder and anarchy by confusing the people,” Prof Siddique said.
He said there were many madrasa students who uphold the spirit of the War of Liberation while the religious bigots had opposed it in 1971 in the name of Islam.
“These elements are now opposing the women policy in the name of the religion again,” he said.
Leading economist Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said nothing was there in the women policy that contradicted the holy Quran as claimed by the ultra right elements like Amini.
“It (policy) contains nothing which could be cited to cause anarchy . . . it is the responsibility of the government to take steps so none can create an anarchic situation,” he said.
Bangladesh Economic Association President Abul Barakat suggested the government to launch a massive campaign to disseminate the contents of the policy among the people so the “vested groups” could not mislead them.
“There is nothing in the policy which is against the holy Quran . . . I think the propaganda launched by Amini is the part of a campaign to frustrate the successes of the present government and stall trial of the 1971 war criminals,” Barakat said.
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