An international outfit of anti-Ahmadiyya diehards and a local 'socio-cultural' organisation have scheduled demonstrations at Paltan Maidan for tomorrow and January 23 in the latest bid to force the government to declare the religious sect non-Muslim.
The post-Friday prayers demonstration by the International Majlis-e-Tahaffuz-e-Khatme Nobuwat Bangladesh will be followed by another round by Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis, a radical Islamist organisation and offshoot of the ruling coalition partner Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ), on January 20 for the same demand.
Majlis-e-Tahaffuz President and Khatib of Baitul Mokarram National Mosque Obaidul Haq will preside over tomorrow's demonstration to be addressed by the outfit leaders from Egypt, India, London, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The movement against about one lakh Ahmadiyyas in Bangladesh comes after the government banned all publications of the Muslim sect on January 8 for what it said were objectionable materials in Ahmadiyya publications that "hurt or might hurt the sentiments of the majority Muslims".
The ban viewed as the first step towards declaring the Ahmadiyyas non-Muslim, came after religious bigots, represented mainly by the IOJ, launched an anti-Ahmadiyya campaign with Hifazate Khatme Nabuwat Andolon at the forefront.
Announcing the programme that includes another demonstration on January 23 at Paltan Maidan, Majlis-e-Tahaffuz General Secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam at a press conference at its office in Dhaka welcomed the ban.
"The government took a step to safeguard human rights by preventing Ahmadiyyas from deceiving people with their books," he said, tamping down the allegation by socio-cultural, political and rights groups of human-rights violations.
Aamra Dhakabshi President Shamsul Haq will chair the January 23 demonstration, which will also begin after Friday prayers.
Activists of the organisation will bring out processions and stage rallies in different parts of the city from January 18-22 in the build-up to the demonstration for which Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis expressed solidarity with Majlis-e-Tahaffuz and Aamra Dhakabashi.
At a press conference yesterday, Khelafat Majlis Amir and IOJ Chairman Shaikhul Hadith Azizul Haq asked the government to declare Ahmadiyyas non-Muslim and identify them as a minority community.
"We welcome the ban on Ahmadiyya books, but it was just part of the demand," he said.
"Pass a law to declare them non-Muslim and pave the way for peaceful coexistence with people of other sects and religions," he said.
"Ahmadiyyas are misinterpreting the holy Quran to establish Mirza Golam Ahmad as a prophet," alleged Khelafat Majlis Secretary General Abdur Rab Yusufi.
"As they are distracting Muslims this way, the governments of 40 Muslim countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Kuwait, Malaysia and South Africa have declared them (Ahmadiyyas) non-Muslim," he said.