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Fanatics, civil society face off today

Tension reigns in Narayanganj as religious fanatics and the civil society members stand fiercely opposed to each other on the former’s programme to capture the Ahmadiyya mosque in the city today.

Anti-Ahmadiyya outfits Khatme Nabuwat Committee Bangladesh and Aamra Dhakabashi yesterday reiterated that they will continue with the programme.

They called on their adherents to gather and hold a demonstration at DIT Mosque after the Juma prayers and march towards Missionpara Ahmadiyya mosque.

“The Kadianis (Ahmadiyyas) are misleading the ‘real Muslims’ by calling their place of worship mosques,” read an Aamra Dhakabashi press release yesterday.

“We don’t want to capture anyone’s property, but as Muslims, we have the religious obligation to save the fellow Muslims from being deceived by the Kadiyanis,” the press release added referring to the prospective capture of the Ahmadiyya mosque.

Meanwhile, a number of socio-cultural and political organisations and professional bodies have declared to resist the capture programme.

Led by Narayanganj Sangskritik Jote, the South Asian People’s Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism (SAPUFC), and Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, these organisations have asked the people to assemble at the mosque in the morning to foil the bigots’ capture programme.

Superintendent of Police in Narayanganj Ibrahim Fatemi said yesterday they had taken necessary preparations to stop the anti-Ahmadiyya zealots.

Police remained posted at different points of the town yesterday. Paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles might also join them today, said sources.

Police picked up two operatives of Khatme Nabuwat while they were making announcement in loudspeakers Wednesday noon to let them off an hour later.