Ahmadiyya Muslims question govt sincerity for security

Ahmadiyya Muslim community chief Mobasherur Rahman has questioned the government sincerity in ensuring their security and said the attacks are unabated.

He said at a media conference that the authorities do not act as fast when the Ahmadiyyas come under attack as they do in case of attacks on other religious minorities like the Hindus or the Buddhists.

"Why is this discrimination?" he asked, speaking at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat office at Bakshibazar in Dhaka on Friday.

Mobasherur came up with data on attacks on the members of the community in Rangpur, Bogra, Dinajpur and other parts of Bangladesh.

The latest victim of such attacks is Mostafizur Rahman, the imam of an Ahmadiyya mosque in Mymensingh's Ishwarganj.

He was wounded in the hacking attack. Locals caught a suspect and handed him to police after beating him.

The attacker, identified as Abdul Ahad, a madrasa student from the same Upazila, told reporters that two other students of the madrasa also took part in the attack. Their target was to kill the imam, he said.

Mobasherur alleged, "Less government action is seen when Ahmadiyyas come under attack, though they are also Muslims."

In December, 2015, a suicide bomber blew himself up in an attack on an Ahmadiyya mosque in Rajshahi’s Bagmara Upazila during the Juma prayers, leaving 10 people injured.

Many attacks on the community were reported during the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami government.

Qawmi madrasa-based group Hifazat-e Islam demanded in 2013 that the government declare Ahmadiyyas non-Muslims.

Mobasherur criticised the ruling Awami League for bowing down to Hifazat demands. The government has recognised top Qawmi degree and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved of Hifazat demand for removing a statue from the Supreme Court premises.

The Ahmadiyya chief said Bangladesh's Constitution is 'much better' than other countries when it comes to religious freedom.

"We want the Constitution to be followed. We will be happy if only our constitutional right is ensured. We are the citizens of this country. We want citizens' rights to be established," he said.