Bangladesh radical Islamist leader threatens to tear down all statues

DHAKA: Junaid Babunagari, the new chief of radical Islamist group Hifazat-e-Islam, has threatened to pull down statues, no matter which party erected them.

The Radical leader warned, "The statues are against the Sharia, no matter whose statue it is. I won't name a party or leader. But I swear by Allah, if someone erects a statue, even of my father, I will be the first to pull it down. I will pull down statues no matter which party erects them," he said.

Babungari made the statement along with four demands to the government from the Hathazari mahfil on Friday night.

The four demands are — stop ISKCON's activities in Bangladesh, officially declare the ahmadiyas 'non-Muslim', close embassy of France and expel the French ambassador, and pass a resolution condemning France in parliament.

"I am warning you. The atheists who are sitting on your neck will harm you, they will kill you. We are not your enemy. We want 'peace and order' in the country," Babunagari warned Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

He made the statement at a gathering of the radical groups organised by Jamat-e-Islam by the name of Al Amin Sangstha on the premises of Parboty Government High School in Chattogram's Hathazari.

Mamunul Haque, joint secretary general of Hifazat, was supposed to join the three-day programme on the closing day, but he could come not due to ongoing protests by the ruling Awami League leaders and workers over his remarks against a statue of independence hero Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Dhaka.

"The Prime Minister has said that Bangladesh will be run in line with the Charter of Madinah. If it is true, then nothing can be done against Islam in this country. Inshallah, the Prime Minister will not let it (setting up statues) happen," said Babunagari.

"There cannot be any statue in the country if it is run in line with the Charter of Madinah. Is there any statue in Madinah?" he questioned. (IANS)

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