Bangladesh Police chief promises action against those preaching radicalism

Directives have been issued for collecting information on the people who are ‘tactfully’ preaching radicalism, the police chief has said.

“Those who create threats to public safety and kill people by using religion will have to be stopped. We have directives to gather information on those who tactfully promote religious radicalism,” said Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque, while addressing a discussion with Islamic clerics at the Police Headquarters on Saturday.
 
 “Militancy grows by misinterpretation of Islam. That is how young people stray from the right direction. They are being told that killing will lead them to heaven.”
 

The IGP said that Islam is a religion of peace. "It has no place for murderers. A public opinion has to be formed collectively against those who are misinterpreting the verses of the Quran.”

“Twenty-one militants are awaiting the gallows … we need to defeat their arguments and preach the real ideals of Islam,” he urged the clerics.
 
The clerics present there requested the IGP to stop the telecast of Peace TV in Bangladesh.
 
In response, Haque said, “You have asked for barring the Peace TV’s telecast [for] it is airing anti-Islamic campaigns and inciting radicalism. If you have any specific evidence on the programmes being contradictory to the true teachings of Islam, inform the information minister and the police about it.”
 
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman Mia and other top police officials were present at the programme.