The BNP has condemned columnist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury’s derogatory remarks on religion and demanded an investigation into the matter.
“His (Gaffar’s) comments have created serious discontent in country. He’s hit the religious sentiment of the entire world’s Muslims. We strongly denounce and protest his offensive remarks on Almighty Allah,” Asaduzzaman Ripon, acting spokesperson of the party, said on Sunday at a press briefing at party's Napaltan headquarters in Dhaka.
The BNP leader said Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury at a seminar on “Bangladesh: Past, Present and Future” at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in the USA made offensive remarks about Allah’s 99 adjectival names.
“He said the names were kept after the names of Kafirs (disbelievers). How much audacious his comment is,” he posed question.
The party also demanded punishment to Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN Dr AK Abdul Momen for presenting Gaffar Chowdhury with a crest after making offensive remarks about Allah.
Ripon demanded a fair investigation into the matter to know whether there was any provocation from Foreign Ministry or Abdul Momen behind it.
“We don’t want to believe that the government has any link to the incident. So, the government must look into it to identify where there any quarter has hand in it.”
He also hoped that Gaffar Chowdhury will be regretful for his comments and will seek apology to people for it.
