Dhaka: Protesting against anti-Muslim violence in the Indian capital Delhi, thousands of people marched on the street of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. They were demanding cancellation of the invitation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Dhaka on March 17.
At least 46 people have been killed and more than 200 injured in the mob violence that continued for three days beginning from Sunday in the Indian capital New Delhi.
Bangladeshi government has invited Modi to address a function marking the 100th birth anniversary of the father of the nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Saying that the invitation to Modi is an insult to the 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh, the protesters asserted that it is also disrespect to the noncommunal freedom icon of the nation.
Six Muslim political groups led by Jamiat Ulema-e Islam General Secretary Nur Hossain Qasmi organised the march to condemn Delhi violence on Friday.
On Thursday, Hefazate Islam Bangladesh, another platform Muslim group in the country, also urged the government in a statement to cancel the invitation to Modi.
A rally protesting the deaths in Delhi violence was also taken out by the students of the country’s largest Dhaka University. The university’s students union leader Nurul Haq Nur said that students would not welcome Indian prime minister as the event speaker.
However, the general secretary of ruling Awami League party Obaidul Quader called the communal clashes in the Indian capital Delhi as an “internal issue” of India and said that the government will receive Modi to participate in the event as a gesture of gratefulness to India, who helped Bangladesh during the liberation war.