Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday told Islamic scholars that the country would be governed as per the Medina Charter and last sermons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and that there would be no law going against the Quran and Sunnah.
Addressing the 39th founding anniversary celebrations of the Islamic Foundation at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital, she also cautioned them against infiltration into Muslims and creation of divide among them.
"Many Muslim nations are fighting each other or Muslims of an Islamic country are scuffling among themselves....Who are the instigators? Who are the beneficiaries?" she said, adding that of late, "these people" wanted to create anarchy in Bangladesh.
Hasina urged the Islamic scholars to remain alert in this regard, and said those engaged in killing, terrorism and militancy did not have any religion.
She said, “There will be no law against the Holy Quran and Sunnah here ever.” The government stated clearly in the women policy that if any international law has anything against the Quran and Sunnah, it will not apply in Bangladesh, she added.
About the war crimes trial, the premier said the government already executed one of the verdicts. She said that due to the evils of some people in 1971, beautiful Islamic names like Razakar, Al- Badr and Al-Shams had turned into "swear words".
Hasina said certain vested quarters had misinterpreted and misused Islam, causing a lot of harm to this religion.
Describing various activities of Awami League governments since 1972 for the flourishing of Islam, she said some people spread the propaganda that AL was anti-Islam.
In this regard, she mentioned that after independence, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman banned gambling, liquor and horse racing in the country. “But, after his killing in 1975, the then Zia government approved these bad elements.”
Director General of Islamic Foundation Shamim Mohammad Afzal described the overall activities of the organisation, while Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman presided over the function.
Later, a munajat was offered seeking blessings for eternal peace of the victims of the August 15 carnage in 1975 and continued peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.
The function opened with recitation from the Quran, followed by the national anthem and the theme song of the Islamic Foundation sung by child artists.