Author
Thatcher
This is very very complicated. Here is my first shot. It needs a lot of imporvement.
15 dead and several injured in violent clashes set off by Islamic religious leaders after the High Court
moved to restrict fatwas, religious orders. This is the latest in a centuries old battle over
the rights and restriction on women in rural communities. Lately NGO's in Bangledesh
have worked to improve the economic consitions of women. Local religious leaders, Mullahs
issued fatwas in response. Violent clashes over this issue have happened in villages in the
past. In the violence the capital, one person was murdered in a mosque--one
of the very worst crimes under islamic law.
Here is the whole Dhaka Courier Article:
NGO-Islamic zealots conflict
POLITICS ON FIRE AGAIN
By Shamim Ahmad
Sudden eruption of violent conflict between two sworn enemies- Fatwabaz and NGOs-spread like volcanic lava on pre-election
politics in Bangladesh. And the main actors in power politics seem to follow suit keeping aside their own political agenda. The
conflict broke out with the staging of two successive grand rallies-one under the banner of Ulema-Mashaikh and other under
the platform of the United Citizens’ Movement-in the capital on February 2 and 3 respectively. The consequence was horrifying
- one police constable killed inside a mosque, two persons succumbed to bomb blast, top leaders of a Islamist party
imprisoned and another round of shutdowns.
According to an unofficial estimate, at least 10 persons were killed and about 100 injured throughout the country since 2
February due to violent agitation by Islamic zealots.
In this fast changing situation, panic gripped the people while confusion and wild speculation started taking ground. Although
the mainstream opposition parties ostensibly were hesitant initially, they finally stepped into the fray as one of its leaders-IOJ
chief Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Azizul Huq-was thrown into jail. Islamic zealots came to the forefront of the turbulent political
scene to protest a recent High Court verdict that restricted giving fatwa (religious edicts) as innocent and illiterate women in
villages are becoming the sad victims of fatwas given by a vested group of traders in Islam. Though conscious people in
society, professionals and NGOs welcomed the court’s move, Mullahs who are involved in the exercise over the decades rose
in protest. Amidst controversial debates, the Appellate Division stayed the High Court’s order for six weeks.
The wrath of religion traders also fell on non-government organizations (NGOs) now actively engaged in improving the
economic status of women and their empowerment. The NGOs working in remote countryside for empowerment of women
against social taboos and superstitions have become the main target of these Mullahs or extreme orthodox elements, who do
not like to see the freedom of womenfolk. The two groups - 0rthodox and iconoclast -had fierce clashes at several rural towns
in the past. The High Court verdict brought the two groups to a fresh rivalry.
On February 2 Islamic extremist groups split in numerous factions closed their ranks and assembled at Paltan Maidan under
the new banner of the Islamic Law Implementation Committee. They abused the judges and the judgement against fatwa,
demanded ban on NGO activities and their registrations, and cancellation of the court’s anti-fatwa verdict. The Committee
dominated by IOJ of Shaikhul Hadith Azizul Haq and Islami Shashantantra Andolon of Peer of Charmonai Syed Fazlul Karim
gave a startling action programme by calling a day-long shut down next day, (Saturday), with just 12 hours’ notice. The abrupt
hartal call was mainly aimed at thwarting the grand rally of NGO activists under the banner of United Citizen’s Movement at
the Parade ground.
The scenario took a critical turn when Islamic militants launched attack on a NGO procession proceeding towards the Parade
ground rally. And during the melee, a police man was dragged inside a mosque at Mohammadpur and beaten to death by the
Islamic zealots charged with do or die mission. Incidentally, IOJ chief Shaikhul Hadith Azizul Haq was inside the mosque
where police constable Badsha Mia was killed. Angry police began crackdown on the Islamic extremists and rounded up
more than 100 activists along with their leaders Shaikhul Hadith Azizul Haq and Mufti Fazlul Haq Amini.
The Mullah-NGO conflict received a new twist when the 4-party opposition alliance called hartal on February 7 to protest the
arrest of Shaikhul Hadith Azizul Haq and Mufti Amini, chairman and secretary general respectively of the Islami Oikya Jote
(IOJ), a partner in the alliance.
Although the alliance had to call the shutdown for the sake of alliance unity, there was dissension among some BNP and
Jamaat leaders to allow the fatwa issue and what they called `grumpy’ Islamic groups to come to the limelight eclipsing their
main agenda of the anti-government movement. Jamaat, which has cold war with the extremist groups, would not like to see
them at the forefront while pro-liberation elements in BNP would not also like to be branded as fanatic or fundamentalist.
In the wake of hesitation in the main opposition camp, IOJ first unilaterally announced countrywide hartal on February 8 to
seek release of its top leaders mounting pressure on the alliance leadership to agree to its term and do something when one
of the alliance partners is in trouble. On February 5 there had been two sittings of the liaison committee discussed the
question whether the alliance should get involved in the current issue. There were some opinions that it would only harm the
anti-government agitation and its planned campaign for sit-in around the Secretariat on February 18. The alliance involvement
would also divert the public attention from the government to fatwa-NGO issue. But Khaleda Zia approved the hartal call for
February 7 when the liaison committee leaders sought her opinion. Khaleda, while addressing an alliance rally in Rangpur,
also blamed the government for the killing of policeman Badsha Mia.
As Begum Zia stepped into the shoes of Islamic zealots, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina availed the opportunity and
straightway called her arch opponent an instigator. Khaleda is trying to capture power by inciting communal forces and
terrorists in a bid to capture power, she said. Hasina’s lieutenants Food Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Home Minister
Mohammad Nasim and others accused Khaleda of fanning fundamentalism to vitiate pre-election atmosphere.
Political analysts keeping eyes on new developments said that both Awami League and BNP are trying to reap political
benefit out of fatwa-NGO conflict. Khaleda possibly thought that current agitation by Islamic extremists would help heat up
anti-government mood and discredit the government. So, she felt it prudent to accommodate the zealots with a long-term idea
of bagging their support in the next election. But another version is that Khaleda’s sympathy for the Islamic extremists might
help Hasina to win the support of progressive political and professional groups, and NGOs, seen as a potential factor in next
elections.
Some observers, however, feel that the current spell of violent agitation by Islamic extremists might die down if they don’t get
back-up support from BNP and its allies. But others did not rule out the fear of further flare ups at the instigation of unseen
hands.