| Militant
Islamic groups have been on the war path in
the Faridpur District of Bangladesh, protesting
against a play which they say belittles Islam.
The
play, Kotha Krishnakoli, was staged at Joshimuddin
Hall in Faridpur, about 100 kilometres south-west
of Dhaka, on August 6, 2002.
Written
by Sambit Saha, a Hindu playwright, the drama
is the story of a young girl trafficked to
India to work as a prostitute.
Militant
Islamists group have expressed displeasure
at Kotha Krishnakoli which they see as denigrating
the Islamic faith. In particular, Muslim leaders
are objecting to a scene in which a man plays
the role of Prophet Mohammad.
However,
despite these objections, the playwright -
who has since been arrested - has insisted
that there was no such scene in his original
manuscript.
Kotha
Krishnakoli was first shown in Dhaka before
Faridpur weeks ago. Nobody objected to the
play then.
Despite
Saha's arrest, militant Islamic groups have
been demonstrating against the play under
the aegis of the organisation 'Rasul Shaink
Porishod' (Prophet Solders' Organization).
But
the Islamic Oikoe Jut (Islamic Solidarity
Alliance) is the main organizer of the protest
activities. Most of the protesters are said
to be madrassa students.
Recently,
another Islamic group attacked other cultural
organizations. With Durga Puja, the biggest
annual Hindu festival, taking place in the
next few days, Hindus are said to be fearing
attack from this radical Islamic group.
In
the last two years ago, Durga Puja celebrations
in some parts of Bangladesh have been marred
by bomb threats.
According
to the Bangla daily Prothom Alo, over the
last month-and-a-half, Rasul Shaink Porishod
has been arranging many meetings and demonstrations.
They
have reportedly focused on political issues
and not Kotha Krishnakoli, claiming that their
leader is Fozlul Haque Amini, an MP they would
like to be appointed government minister.
On
September 25, the group gathered multitudes
of people from all over the district in Faridpur's
Allipur Street, on the pretext of discussing
the issue of the play.
Before
that, on September 14, Amini had attended
another meeting at which he reportedly declared
that if the government does not give in to
their demands they will arrange a 'meeting'
in Dhaka's Paltan area in January to unveil
a bigger protest programme.
The
group's main demand is that the authorities
arrest and hang 32 'objectionable' people,
most of whom live in Faridpur.
On
August 12, the principal of Faripur's Shamsul
Oulm Madrassa, Mufti Abdul Kadar, filed a
case with the local district police station,
giving the names of the 32 people. A day later,
a district judge ordered their arrest.
Apart
from playwright Saha, three other people have
been arrested. Another four people have had
their property confiscated by the state.
In addition to demanding the incarceration
of 32 people, Rasul Shaink Porishod is calling
for the arrest of journalists Probir Shikdar
of the daily Janakantha and Gowtom das of
the Prothom Alo. Shikdar has already lost
one leg to terrorists. The two journalists
are well-known for their professional and
consistent role in exposing the activities
of fundamentalist groups.
Two
weeks ago, two journalists working for the
daily Ajker Kagoj, Amoras Roy and Ashokas
Roy, were sent to prison for their own safety.
Political
parties in Faridpur feel that the fundamentalist
groups are using the Kotha Krishnakoli issue
to pressure the government into giving a ministerial
position to their leader, Amini.
Predictably,
the ruling BNP party has maintained a deafening
silence because the Islamic Oikoe Jut, a key
player in the protest activities, is a member
of the four-party coalition government. Other
political parties are also mum on the religious
intolerance as the issue is sensitive and
can potentially cost them votes and support.
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