S Asian body Protests change of signboard

New signboard removed from Ctg Ahmadiyya mosque

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Ahmadiyya Mosque
S Asian body Protests change of signboard
DU Correspondent

The South Asian People’s Union against Fundamentalism and Communalism yesterday protested the change of signboard of Ahmadiyya community’s 90-year-old Baitul Baset Mosque by police following demands of ‘extreme fundamentalist force’.

A statement signed by the organisation’s President Prof Kabir Chowdhury and Member Prof Muntasir Mamun said the BNP-Jamaat alliance government is patronising the Islamist outfit, International Khatme Nabuyat Movement (IKNM), like the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh led by its operations commander Bangla Bhai, trampling human rights and democracy.

Police are helping the Islamist force as they are helping Bangla Bhai’s men in the northern districts, the statement said and added Bangladesh is going under a Taliban-like rule.

The statement urged the conscious citizens and progressive political parties to get united to resist the religious extremists.

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New signboard removed from Ctg Ahmadiyya mosque
Staff Correspondent, Ctg

Unknown people removed the signboard from the Ahmadiyya mosque at Chawkbazaar in the port city Friday night, hours after Islamic bigots erected it during a sit-in programme.

Police suspect Ahmadiyyas might have taken away the signboard placed by religious zealots under the banner of the International Khatme Nabuyat Movement (IKNM) some time in the night.

Ahmadiyyas staying inside the mosque, however, said that they were unaware about any such incident, sources said.

Local administration has beefed up security measures in and around the mosque fearing fresh backlash following the incident, police officials said.

Miah Lutfur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (north) yesterday told The Daily Star, “We are keeping watch over the mosque to avert any untoward incident over removal of the signboard.”

Islamic extremists under the banner of the International Khatme Nabuyat Movement (IKNM) placed the signboard, which read: “Place of worship for the Ahmadiyyas. Muslims advised not to take it as mosque to be deceived,” in front of the Ahmadiyya mosque during an agitation programme after the Juma prayers.

The IKNM organised the programme demanding declaration of the Ahmadiyya sect as non-Muslims.