Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu yesterday said Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Shah Ahmad Shafi would not be spared from facing the consequences for his comments on girls and their education.
Inu said Shafi compared girls to tamarinds and advocated for girls’ education up to only grade 4, for which he must publicly seek apology.
The minister was addressing a discussion titled “Peace, development and democracy” held in the Kushtia Municipality auditorium.
Hosted by the Department of Mass Communication under the Ministry of Information, the programme was attended by people from all tiers, including journalists, teachers and freedom fighters.
In his address, Information Minister Hasanul Haque Inu urged Shafi to give up his opinion on women.
He branded the Hefazat chief as an “enemy of democracy.”
Inu, also JSD president, mentioned a series of development programmes implemented by the government.
He said this government has helped farmers to open an account in state banks with an initial deposit of Tk10 only, distributed 30 crore textbooks among students on the very first day of their academic year and took steps to build deep-sea port.
In answer to a question, the minister alleged that the BNP in its last tenure tried to turn Bangladesh into Pakistan.
To distort the country’s history, the party counted on baseless propaganda, he said.
The discussion began with a welcome address by Kamrun Nahar, director general, Department of Mass Communication.
Among others, district commissioner Syed Belal Hossain, police super Mofiz Uddin Ahmed and municipality mayor Anowar Ali made speeches at the programme.
The programme was broadcast live on Bangladesh Television.
