In the wake of complaints that religious sermons foment sectarianism, instigate social division, make derogatory comments about members from the showbiz and denounce women who do not observe the hijab, the home ministry has made six observations.
These have been sent to Bangladesh Islamic Foundation, National Revenue Board and all divisional commissioners.
The recommendations underline that those who deliver the sermons and receive money should be brought under income tax and must be brought under law if their sermons contain seditious elements.
Islamic Foundation has been advised to bring highly educated speakers under registration.
Home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, told Bangla Tribune: “We receive regular reports on what the religious sermons contain and work based on the reports.”
Relevant to note, between Mar 19 and 23, Bangla Tribune published a series of reports on religious sermons, asking if it was being commercialized.
On the third week of March, the political section of the home ministry released a report identifying 15 speakers whose sermons were fomenting discord sowing seeds of radicalism and encouraging an intolerant outlook on women’s emancipation.
On several occasions, the sermons used lines like: demolishing any statue is a religious task, Rabindranath Tagore is a heretic and a person loses faith in establishing friendship with a non-Muslim, it’s not right to place flowers on the Shaheed Minar, democracy is outlawed in Islam etc.
The report further mentions that many of these damaging sermons are being publicised through You Tube.
The recommendations of the home ministry are: clerics must give sermons which is practical and promotes social harmony, steps to be taken against those who give controversial sermons, bringing highly educated speakers under registration, ensuring that speakers pay income tax, warning speakers if they are spreading hate and intolerance and bringing hate preachers under law.
Islamic Foundation’s research division director, Nur Mohammad Alam acknowledged letter of recommendations from the ministry and added: we have received the letter and will decide the course of action in the next meet.”
A meeting is supposed to be held in the evening of Monday (Apri 1).