Bangladesh has sought from India, the details about Zakir Naik’s operations, even as it said several prominent ulemas wanted action against the Islamic televangelist much before the deadly Gulshan attack last month.
Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, who is in India on a six-day visit, said his country has cracked down on Naik’s Peace TV by banning its broadcast and indicated that it is waiting for India’s action against the controversial preacher.
Inu said his country doesn’t have any evidence of links between home-grown terrorists in Bangladesh with extremists outfits in India, but at the same time slammed Pakistan for “harbouring terrorism”. He said Bangladesh has witnessed over 43 attacks on thinkers, bloggers and people from Sufi faith and it has been found that in almost 90 per cent cases, the attackers had links with banned Jamaat-e-Islami which he alleged was a “corroborator” with Pakistani forces during the 1971 Liberation war.
“From Bangladesh’s side Zakir Naik’s case has been settled. We have stopped the broadcast of Peace TV. In last one year, ulemas came up with written complaints against Naik. We are examining it. We think his teachings, in certain cases, are not in compliance with the Quran or Hadith. So, that is creating confusion. In certain cases it is instigating. So, we have taken our position. We have asked the Indian side to take their position and give us necessary information,” Inu said.
In the backdrop of reports that ISIS was gaining ground in Bangladesh, he asserted that terror networks in his country is home grown. Bangladesh had banned Naik’s Peace TV following the terror attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan Thana locality on July 1 in which 29 people were killed.
