Home Minister Kamal warns against writing anything that hurts religious sentiment

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has warned against writing anything that hurts religious sentiments toughening the stance on the issue after the IGP came up with a similar advisory.

“Actions as per the existing law of the country will be taken against those who will write anything on blogs or any other media hurting religious sentiment,” Kamal warned on Tuesday.

After the murder of blogger Niladri Chatterjee Niloy on Friday, IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque on Sunday asked freethinkers and writers ‘not to cross the line’.

“Anything that may hurt anyone’s religious sentiments or beliefs should not be written,” he said.

Hoque has drawn heavy criticism for the remarks, some of which came from ruling Awami League leaders.

Earlier on Tuesday, Awami League’s Advisory Council Member Suranjit Sengupta told a discussion: “Bloggers are being killed one after another. And the IGP says they should not write anything that hurts religious sentiment.”

“Ansarullah Bangla Team has claimed responsibility for the murders. Arrest them,” he added.

The former railways minister admitted that the government failed to maintain law and order.

Home Minister Kamal issued the warning against writing on religious issues at the inauguration of a regional office of the Department of Narcotics Control at Gendaria in Dhaka.

He, however, denied that police failed to arrest any of the murderers of the bloggers.

“Many of those accused in blogger murder cases have been arrested. They are being tried,” he said.

“We have got many clues in Niloy murder case. We don’t want to act only on speculations. We want to arrest the accused after checking all information,” he added.

Niloy was the fourth secular blogger to be killed in past six months. The others are Avijit Roy, Oyasiqur Rahman Babu and Ananta Bijoy Das.