Dhaka, Friday, December 23, 2005 Govt urged to protect Ahmadiyya HQ
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
Leaders of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat on Thursday urged the government to take adequate measures to protect their headquarters in the city and their homes.
They made the appeal as the International Khatme Nabuwat Movement Bangladesh, an Islamist fundamentalist group, threatens to lay siege to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat Complex at Bakshibazar today.
The Khatme Nabuwat Movement recently issued the threat of the siege programme.
Expressing serious concern over the threat, the leaders said the government would be held responsible for any untoward situation if it failed to provide security for them.
‘The Ahmadiyya Jamaat has been in operation in 178 countries for the last 115 years on the basis of international brotherhood. So, any attack on it will be considered an international issue,’ said Touhidul Islam, a spokesman for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat.
‘The threat by the fundamentalists has put the Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh into grave anxiety,’ he added.
‘We have informed the high-ups of the administration about the siege programme of the Khatme Nabuwat Movement but they are yet to increase measures for protecting our headquarters,’ the spokesman pointed out.
When contacted, the commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, SM Mizanur Rahman, told New Age that necessary steps would be taken to avoid any untoward incident.
‘We would resist attempt of any group to attack the Ahmadiyya Complex at any cost,’ the commissioner added.
Noor Hossain Noorani, Ameer of the Khatme Nabuwat Movement, said ‘We will march towards the Ahmadiyyas headquarters from North Gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque after juma prayers to capture it.’
‘We are ready to sacrifice our lives for the purpose and will force the government to comply with our demand for declaring Ahmadiyyas non-Muslim,’ the Ameer added.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the six human rights organisations — Ayeen-O-Salish Kendro, Bangldesh Development Partnership Centre, Bangladesh Mohila Parishad, Nijera Kori, Nari O Manobadhikar Foundation expressed concern over any attack on them.
They also called upon the members the civil society to join the resistance programme and save the Ahmadiyyas from the fundamentalists.
Source:
http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#6 |
|
|