Bangladesh bans controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Peace TV

The Bangladesh government banned on Sunday broadcasting of India-based controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Peace TV channel after reports that his “provocative” speeches inspired some of the militants who carried out the country’s worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh government banned on Sunday broadcasting of India-based controversial preacher Zakir Naik’s Peace TV channel after reports that his “provocative” speeches inspired some of the militants who carried out the country’s worst terror attack at a cafe in Dhaka.

Zakir Naik has come under the scanner of the Indian government after reports emerged that two among a group of terrorists who killed 22 people in a posh Dhaka café last week were allegedly inspired by his speeches. (HT Photo)

The decision to ban the Mumbai-based preacher’s ‘Peace TV Bangla’ was taken during a special meeting of Cabinet Committee on Law and Order, industry minister AAmir Hossain Amu, who chaired the meeting said.

Read: Zakir Naik seeks support from Muslim community against ‘media trial’

At the meeting, attended by senior ministers and top security officials, it was also decided to monitor the sermons given during the Friday prayers to check whether any provocative lectures are delivered, Amu told reporters.

Naik’s speeches are believed to have inspired some of the Bangladeshi militants, who killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, at an upscale restaurant in Dhaka on July 1.

The government also appealed to the Imams in the country to deliver lectures in line with real Islamic ideology of denouncing terrorism and extremism, the minister said.

Read: Zakir Naik unfit to preach, Muslims should avoid listening to him: Darul Uloom

Deployment of additional security forces at export processing zone was also ordered.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan had yesterday said that Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies were investigating the Islamic preacher Naik.

“He is on our security scanner... Our intelligence agencies are investigating his activities as his lectures appeared provocative,” Khan had said.

Khan said the investigators were also probing Naik’s financial transactions in Bangladesh.