By IANS
Dhaka : Islamist groups in Bangladesh continue to demonstrate against a blasphemous cartoon even after publication of the magazine was suspended, leading moderates to demand a ban on the protests on grounds that they were “politically motivated”.
Political parties are clamouring for more freedom in the country that is under a national emergency.
“Bringing out processions over the issue (cartoon) was not right and the government should take action,” said Abdul Matin Khasru, a former lawmaker of the Awami League.
“The state of emergency rule was violated and the government should take stern action against those who violated the rules,” said Maj. Gen. (retd) Ghulam Quader, former director general of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
The former army official also observed that there is propaganda in western countries that Bangladesh is turning into a “second Afghanistan” and the protests indicate that it might be true.
Quader was participating in a BBC sponsored discussion, called “BBC Sangalp”, in which other speakers too urged the government to act, The Daily Star said Sunday.
BBC World Service Trust in conjunction with the BBC Bangla Service organised the dialogue that was moderated by Kamal Ahmed of BBC Bangla Service.
The speakers voiced concern over the continuing protests despite an apology by the editor and publishers of the satire magazine Aalpin, whose publication has since been suspended. They allege “vested interests” were behind the protests.
The magazine’s freelance scribe and cartoonist Arifur Rahman was arrested earlier this week for the cartoon that Muslims claimed was offending. Prathom Alo newspaper group to which Aalpin belongs apologised, promising not to accept any contribution from Rahman in future.
The cartoon featured a conversation between a mullah and a child and ended with a joke about the Prophet Mohammed’s name.
The government acted after a delegation of Muslim clerics, led by chief of Islami Oikya Jote, a conglomerate of small Islamist parties, met Information Advisor Mainul Hosain.
Hosain termed the cartoon as “a conspiracy to destabilise the country”.