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Bangladesh bans Hizb-ut-Tahrir; intensifies security vigil
Bangladesh has banned Islamic outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir for carrying out "subversive activities" and stepped up security across the country, a day after an abortive bomb attack targeted a ruling party lawmaker who is also a kin of Premier Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh has banned Islamic outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir for carrying out "subversive activities" and stepped up security across the country, a day after an abortive bomb attack targeted a ruling party lawmaker who is also a kin of Premier Sheikh Hasina.
The government last night issued an order banning the operations of the Bangladesh chapter of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, saying the group "has been carrying out subversive activities."
Home Minister Khatun told the 'Daily Star' that she signed the ban order as the organisation was indulging in "anti-state, anti-government, anti-people and anti-democratic activities for long in the country."
She also said that steps were underway to ban several other extremist groups gradually.
Officials said on Friday that the decision has been taken "in the interests of public security."
However, there was no official word on whether the ban was linked to the Wednesday attack on ruling Awami League member and Hasina's close relative Fazle Noor Taposh by unidentified assailants who hurled a bomb leaving 15 people around the lawmaker injured.
Taposh is also a key prosecution lawyer in the final appeal hearing in the murder trial of Bangladesh's founder and Hasina's father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Supreme Court.
