Reuters AlertNet Lite - Police halt B'desh protest over magazine cartoon

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Police halt B'desh protest over magazine cartoon

19 Sep 2007 12:17:37 GMT
Source: Reuters

DHAKA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Baton-wielding police broke up a protest by hundreds of Islamists in the Bangladeshi capital on Wednesday against a magazine which published a cartoon they said hurt Muslims' religious feelings, witnesses said.

Police waded in to halt a march by about 500 demonstrators chanting "death to the editor" and "hang the cartoonist" near Dhaka's national mosque.

Police said the march could not go ahead under the current state of emergency, imposed when an army-backed interim government took charge in January after months of political violence.

The protest came two days after the offending cartoon was printed in "Alpin", a weekly magazine published by Prothom Alo, the country's leading Bangla-language daily.

Police arrested the cartoonist, Arifur Rahman, at his Dhaka home on Tuesday, after Muslim religious leaders complained.

The Information Ministry said it had seized copies of the offending magazine issue.

The interim government has pledged to punish the offenders, but urged the people to remain calm and show patience.

"Definitely it is a conspiracy to ignite unrest in the country. The government will punish the offenders," Mainul Husein, adviser to the interim government in charge of the law and information ministries, told Muslim leaders on Tuesday.

The Prothom Alo has published an apology.

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Party in a statement on Wednesday said the left-leaning daily had "intentionally printed the cartoon to hurt Muslims".

The statement asked the people and the country to remain aware of the "ill intention" of the newspaper.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Bangladesh profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Publications Update: a new newsletter from the International HIV/AIDS Alliance
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

• New International Health Partnership must build on AIDS accountability
International HIV/AIDS Alliance - UK

• South Asia Floods: Stories of survival
ACT - Switzerland

• Relief kits just the beginning in Bangladesh mop-up
WV - International

• Medical Teams International accelerates response in Peru, Bangladesh
Medical Teams International - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

• Police halt B'desh protest over magazine cartoon

• BANGLADESH: Post-flood relief drive under way

• Bangladesh acquits ex-ruler Ershad in smuggling case

• BANGLADESH: More stranded as second round of flooding hits

• B'desh urges release of aid worker in Afghanistan

MORE >>

Last updated:Wed Sep 19 12:16:28 2007