Killings over religious, ideological differences heinous: Chief Justice SK Sinha

The world will cease to be habitable if people are to be killed because of their religions or beliefs, Chief Justice SK Sinha has said.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 26 April 2016, 08:00 PM
Updated : 26 April 2016, 08:00 PM

Speaking at a function in the Supreme Court “mazar” (shrine) on Tuesday, he said there was no question of condoning such killings. 

On Monday, USAID official and gay rights activist Xulhaz Mannan and his theatre activist friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy were killed in Mannan’s home in Dhaka’s Kalabagan, two days after the murder of a Rajshahi University teacher.

Soon after the two incidents, terrorism monitoring website SITE Intelligence Group reported that the IS had claimed responsibility for both.

The chief justice said: “It cannot be denied and, in fact, it can be said with vehemence that Bangladesh has set an example of religious harmony before the world. People of different faiths practise their religions here in an atmosphere of religious harmony. This is a tradition of the country and a matter of pride.  

“But one occasionally comes across newspaper reports of murders, clashes and vandalism due to religious differences. It is not that such things happen only among people of different religions but also among sects within the Muslim community.

“The world will cease to be habitable for humans, if people of one religion fail to tolerate those belonging to another or if people are killed because of their beliefs. I believe you don’t support such extreme ideologies just as I don’t.”

At the function held at the Supreme Court shrine, 131 students of various faiths from different universities and medical colleges were given a Tk 1.4 million stipend cheque.

Referring to the stipends for students, the chief justice said education showed people the path to liberation and religious education guided them along the path of truth and justice.

“Religious education fosters humane qualities and principles, and removes all bad inducements, basic instincts, and superstitions.”

But he said the purpose of education stands defeated if standards are not raised in keeping with the needs of the times.

It was imperative, he said, to raise educational standards for the sake of a contemporary society and the people.

He described religion as the driving force of human lives. “Modern scientific technology and civilisation have given rise to insatiable human greed. Today, humanity is shattered and endangered. There is a dearth of justice, good governance, goodness, unity, discipline and sense of values.

The programme was presided over by mazar committee chairman Syed Mahmud Hossain.