The Islami Andolan Bangladesh on Tuesday started a road march from capital Dhaka to Rangpur to press the party’s demand for capital punishment against blasphemous utterances. Workers of Islami Andolan assebled at the Suhrawardy Uddyan in the morning before starting the road march in the morning.
The road march comprising about 200 motor vehicles was part of the party’s programmes announced earlier. The march was inaugurated by presidium members of Islami Andolan, Principal Moulana Mosaddeq Billah Al-Madani.Leaders of Islami Andolan said a stronger movement including hartal would follow if their demand for enactment of law prescribing maximum punishment for those committing blasphemy was ignored. The party has been pressing the demand since the utterances of former minister Latif Siddique against Hajj, the Prophet (sm) and Tablig Jamaat in September in New York.
Moulana Mosaddeq Billah Al-Madani said there were laws against blasphemy in many Muslim as well as non-Muslim countries of the world. He said that the Bangladesh Constitution provides for punishment for utterances against individuals. Why there should punishment not be prescribed for utterances against Islam and the Prophet, he asked.
The brief rally at Suhrawardy Uddyan was also addressed by secretary general of Islami Andolan, Principal Moulana Yunus Ahmed, president of Dhaka city unit Hafez Moulana ATM Hemayetuddin, assistant secretary general Moulana Imtiaz Alam and publicity secretary Moulana Ahmed Abdul Qayyum.
The road march was schedulled to stop and have street corner meetings at Tongi Station Road, Gazipur street intersection, Mouchak bus stand, Elenga, Sirajganj, Gobindaganj, Pirganj and Mithapukur and the concluding rally in Rangpur town on Wedsnesday, said a press release.
