In yet another standoff with the BNP led Islamist opposition, the Bangladesh government has stuck to its guns.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has turned down demands for a new blasphemy law seeking to punish those who defame Islam and the Prophet.
“They have demanded it. Actually, we don’t have any plan to [bring in the law]. We don’t need it. They should know that existing laws are enough,” Hasina told the BBC on April 8, exactly two days after the opposition had brought life in Dhaka to a standstill with a rally of 100 thousand people.
Bangladesh "is a secular democracy," she said. "So each and every religion has the right to practice their religion freely and fair. But it is not fair to hurt anybody’s religious feeling. Always we try to protect every religious sentiment."
Led by Islamist Hefajat-e-Islam group protestors took to the streets last weekend in what was widely reported as "the long march." The demonstrators had a list of 13 demands that included a call for execution of "atheist" bloggers accused of insulting Islamic beliefs.
The radical Islamists have given a three-week ultimatum to the government to meet their demands
“We will go through all the demands and then we will see. If there is any reasonable one, we will fulfill. If it is not reasonable or not suitable for our country or society we will not accept it,” the prime minister said.
The government arrested four bloggers last week on charges of defaming Islam. Despite her stand against any new blasphemy law, Hasina defended the arrests on suspicion of harming religious sentiment through their work.
"If anybody tried to hurt any sentiments of any religion or any religious leader … we can take any action," she said.
The arrests prompted eight blog operators to black out their websites, with liberals accusing the government of yielding to Islamist pressure.
But the prime minister dismissed those accusations. No, [it’s] not that. If anybody tried to hurt any sentiments of any religion or any religious leader, there is a law. We can take any action.”
The Hefajat-e-Islam is an offshoot of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), an Islamist party that seeks to impose Sharia law in Bangladesh. It is an ally of the opposition BNP.
The protests are seen as a reprisal against the recent death sentence against Islamists accused in the mass killings and other war crimes committed during the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. It has also been alleged that bloggers critical of opposition Islamist leaders are being targeted.
In February, blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider was killed outside his home amid tensions over a tribunal judging war crimes committed during the 1971 independence war.
Haider was among a group of bloggers who had called for the execution of Islamist leaders for crimes committed in the 1971 war.
Arif Jebtik, a high-profile blogger, claimed he was framed by Islamists who allegedly published an anti-Islamic piece under his name. "It was published under my name and with my account. The blog is anti-Islamic and insults the Prophet Mohammad. I fear the blog was posted to frame and criminalize me and also give the Islamists a reason to attack me."
There have been several clashes in recent weeks between Islamists and supporters of the Awami League.
The prime minister also rejected calls by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to restore a neutral interim caretaker administration to oversee parliamentary polls.
The BNP has made it clear that it will not take part in any election held under the incumbent government because it says the polls will not be free or fair.
“If they don’t participate in the election, as a political party they will lose their seats,” Hasina said.
With increasing political violence and instability, there is apprehension that the government might declare a state of emergency to bring the situation under control.
But Prime Minister Hasina firmly dismissed those fears, saying the government has no plans to impose emergency rule.
