Removal of sculpture on SC premises
Islamic parties hail
Different Islamic parties and organisations, including Hefazat-e-Islam, yesterday thanked the government and welcomed the removal of the statue of Lady Justice situated in front of the premises of the Supreme Court (SC), and also demanded removal of statues elsewhere in the country.
The Islamic leaders raised the demand hours after the removal of the statue of Lady Justice, which had been situated in front of the SCs premises, in the early hours of Friday. Some Islamic parties had earlier issued an ultimatum to the government to remove the statue before the month of Ramazan.
Meanwhile, secretary general of Hefazat-e-Islami Allama Junaid Babunagari in a statement yesterday expressed the gratitude to the Almighty Allah for removal of the Greek idol.
He warned that the idol cannot be installed in any other place. The Hefazat leader said the removal of the statue is the preliminary victory of Ulema Mashayekhs just movement.
Speaking at a rally in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, leaders of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh said no culture of idols would be allowed in Bangladesh. Muslim devotees would in no way accept the installation of statues at road intersections. Hence, the government would have to remove all statues elsewhere in the country, iterated the leaders. Muslim devotees will not allow idols to be installed, they said. If anyone tries to build idols at public places, the people will give them a proper reply, said Maulana Nur Hossain Kashemi, ameer of the Dhaka city unit of the organisation.
We will not tolerate the installation of any idols on the roadsides in the country, he said.
Maulana Abdur Rab Yusufi, nayeb-e-ameer of the organisation, urged the government not to install the statue at any place near the Supreme Court or elsewhere.
Maulana Mojibur Rahman Hamidi thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the statues removal, showing respect to the feelings of the Muslims. He warned that they would not allow the installation of any statue elsewhere in the country.
Bangladesh Khelafat Andolan brought out a procession from in front of the Baitul Mukarram after the juma prayers, thanking the Premier for the removal of the statue of Lady Justice.
Speaking at the earlier procession rally, Khelafat Andolan leader Mufti Fakhrul Islam said they had initially demanded the removal of the statues from the SC premises as these were located very close to the National Eidgah, where Muslims offer Eid prayers. He thanked PM Sheikh Hasina for fulfilling her commitment to remove the statue.
The leader expressed his hope that the Premier would take steps to remove all statues throughout the Muslim-majority country. The leaders later held a prayer session, seeking the Prime Ministers long life. Meanwhile, Islami Oikya Jote secretary-general Mufti Foyzullah in a statement yesterday termed the decision to remove the statue as a time-befitting one. The statue of Lady Justice was taken down a month after Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam demanded its removal from the SC premises.
