Do not believe propaganda: Hasina to Qawmi students

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged Qawmi madrasa teachers and students to ignore propaganda spread on social media.

She also asked for their prayers ahead of the upcoming elections at the thanksgiving rally organised at Dhaka’s Suhrawardy Udyan on Sunday to commemorate the government’s recognition of the highest certification offered by Qawmi madrasas as equivalent to postgraduate degrees.

“I know that a lot of propaganda spreads on social media,” the prime minister said. “Do not believe such things.”

The government is working to prevent its spread, she said.

“We have introduced cybercrime laws to deal with such offences,” she said. “Anyone who spreads such false information will be tried under the law and arrested.”

The prime minister also warned of harsh action against offensive speech regarding religion.

“Our religion is Islam. Anyone who makes (offensive) remarks against it or Prophet Muhammad (SM) will be tried under the law.”

“We will not take the law into our own hands,” Sheikh Hasina said. “We should bring them to justice under the eyes of the law and make it so they never spread such things again.”

A handful of men have defamed the name of Islam through militancy, she said.

“Whenever I visit an international conference and hear the term ‘Islamic terrorism’ I object. I tell them that they cannot say that because not everyone believes in terrorism.”

“Those terrorists have no religion. They do not have a nation, nor a society. They are simply terrorists and militants. If they truly believed in Islam they could not be terrorists or militants.”

“I want there to be peace in our country. We will only develop if there is peace. Everyone will benefit from development.”

The rally by the Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh, the organisation representing the six Qawmi education boards in the country, was led by the organisation’s chairman, Hefazat Islam Amir Shah Ahmad Shafi. Sheikh Hasina is the chief guest.

Shafi presented her with a letter of thanks after her speech.

He said the prime minister’s contribution would be ‘written in gold’ on the pages of history.

Maulana Mufti Ruhul Amin, a member of the organisation, dubbed Sheikh Hasina ‘the Mother of Qawmi’ at the event.

Without her antagonistic forces would have halted the decision, he said.

Another Al-Haiatul Ulya Lil-Jamiatil Qawmia Bangladesh member told the prime minister:

“One of us has dubbed you the ‘mother of Qawmi’. With your maternal compassion, please arrange for a Tk 5,000 allowance for imams and Tk 3,000 for muazzins.”

Awami League Religious Affairs Secretary Sheikh Abdullah asked for the support of the Qawmi alems.

“If our prime minister is the mother of Qawmis then you are her children. As children, we have duties to our parents. I ask for your support.”

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Minister of Industries Amir Hossain Amu, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan also attended the event.