By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday condemned a film that allegedly insulted Islam and Prophet Mohammad, and asked the US to punish its maker.
“We express our strong condemnation. No Muslim can tolerate the insults. We can’t tolerate either,” Xinhua quoted Hasina as saying at a programme in the capital.
She urged the US government to impose restrictions on the anti-Islam film and punish its maker.
Hasina’s remarks came a day after the government came under attack from Islamist organisations for failing to ban the film on the internet and condemn it promptly enough.
The ministry of foreign affairs also condemned the film, “The Innocence of Muslims”.
“The video is not only offensive, but also reprehensible,” the ministry said in a statement.
It said Bangladesh was concerned that some people have tried to defend such offensive material on the pretext of freedom of expression.
Inciting hatred cannot be justified as freedom of expression, and disregard for the religious sensitivity of Muslims, or of any faith for that matter, cannot constitute civilised behaviour and must not be condoned, it said.
Thousands of Bangladeshis Friday staged demonstrations to protest the film that has triggered anger among Muslims across the world.