Telecommunication and ICT Minister Mustafa Jabbar has said Hefazat-e-Islam chief Shah Ahmad Shafi cannot even hold back 1% of girls from pursuing higher education.
He said this while speaking at a roundtable discussion titled "4th Industrial Revolution - Are we ready?” at the Brac Inn auditorium on Saturday.
He said: “Females pursuing higher education is 53% at the moment and Shafi cannot event hold back 1% of them.
“Our prime minister leads the nation, not Shafi.”
The minister further added that females will play the most important role in the 4th Industrial Revolution.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is granting all facilities for girls to succeed in knowledge and education,” said Jabbar.
While replying to a question of a former specialist of Access to Information (a2i) project under the government’s ICT Division, Naimuzzaman Mukta, the minister said: “I have recently visited four madrasas in Mirpur recently and every student there have a tablet PC given to them.
Also read - Shafi: Do not send girls to schools, colleges
“This clearly shows that even the madrasa students want to expand their knowledge.”
Earlier on Friday, the Hefazat chief made his audience promise to curtail girls to from sending them studying at schools and colleges, while addressing in an annual religious gathering as the chief guest at Al-Jamiatul Ahlia Darul Ulum Moinul Islam Madrasa, also known as Hathazari Madrasa, in Chittagong.
He said: “Do not let girls study at schools and colleges. At best, you can allow them to study up to fourth or fifth grade.
“If you let them study any more... You have seen in the newspapers that... If you educate your girl up to ninth, tenth, MA, BA levels then that girl will not remain yours.”
“If you educate your girls, other men will snatch them away. So, you will have to promise me that you will not let your girls study more,” Shafi added.