Untold Facts

Undue Interference of the Secularist Government

The Awami League vows for secularism and non-interference into religious matters. So the Government of Bangladesh of the party is honor bound to follow their well-known commitment to remain and behave as secular in all matters, particularly in religious matters. Unfortunately, they are contrarily found to continue to betray their commitment particularly, for Islamic issues.

The nearly two hundred year old tradition, convention and usage since 1828 A.D. of the renowned Sholakia (Kishoreganj) for leading the Eid Congregation by the appointed Imam of the MUTAWALLI is being interfered with by the Government of P.M. Sheikh Hasina this time in September 2009 by removing and replacing the regular Imam by appointing a controversial NGO personality. Why?

The Sholakia is nothing of any government organization like say, Baitul Mukarram, but a non-governmental organization and is run by its own mode of Islamic tradition maintained for ages. What business the secularist government had to do there by the naked interference as they did flouting the Islamic norms and traditions?

Some skeptics were taunting Hasina that she is going to establish Muslim Caliphate in Bangladesh and so has gone for the venture in the matter as a test case. Others say that she would ask her newly appointed Imam to say special prayer for her late father and for herself as were used to be done for the Caliphs during the past Caliphates! That would be in a way appreciable venture for all Muslim countries, as she would abandon the People’s Republic for Islamic Republic! She would certainly then abandon JOY BANGLA for VITORY TO ISLAMIC CALIPHATE OF BAGLADESH or for any such new Muslim slogan! Keeping ahead the next OIC meet she may thus broaden her support in the organization and in the Muslims countries. Older ones may recall that how Houwery Bumedin, the former Algerian President, did manage to take in his own plane Hasina’s father along from Dhaka to the OIC meet in February 1974 in Lahore that for her father’s great relief absolved him of the high treason charge for welcome recognition of Bangladesh by Pakistan. How could Hasina be averse to the OIC?

Let God bless Hasina for the initiation she has thus made for the Islamic Republic from the Sholakia Eid Jamat Imamate venture.

Author: M.T. Hussain