New Delhi: Amidst renowned preacher’s request to Indian Government of fair and secure trial in order for his return to his motherland, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina today told hostile elements to New Delhi will not be allowed to enter Bangladeshi land.
Delivering a speech in New Delhi on “Indo-Bangladesh: Historical and contemporary perspective”, Political advisor to Hasina – Hossain Toufique Imam, replying to a question said, Naik would never get access to Bangladesh and his country would cooperate with India on the matter, NDTV reported.
“We will fully cooperate with India. Our government is committed to its declared policy of zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. The soil of Bangladesh will never be allowed to be used by elements who are hostile to our neighbours,” Imam had said.
A terrorist attack in Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery café which killed nearly 22 people somehow got connected to Zakir Naik, with one of the suspected terrorist attackers posting a message claiming the attack was influenced by Dr. Zakir Naik’s preaching.
The suspected attacker, however, only mentioned that he was influenced but did not speak anything about which video of Zakir Naik’s spoke about carrying out such terrorist attacks or promoted Terrorism.
Dr. Zakir Naik’s national television channel has never broadcasted any such video where he promoted terrorism or asked Islam followers to kill an innocent life. If ‘Jihad’ word was used by him, he also explained what exactly is Jihad- it is fighting against one’s own evil intentions, had this been taken as supporting terrorism, then the media should actually go through all his videos to understand what exactly he preached about Islam and his strong cursing of evil intentions and terrorism.
Naik is currently residing in Malaysia fearing jail term, execution by the Indian government.
The National Investigation Agency is probing him for terror and money laundering charges.
The NIA first registered a case against Naik under anti-terror laws in 2016 for allegedly promoting enmity between different religious groups.
However, no communal riots or terrorists attacks have been carried out in India as such, as claimed by Bangladeshi local newspaper, who in fact, did retract its accusations made on Zakir Naik.
The NIA along with Mumbai Police, subsequently, had carried out raids on at least 10 places in Mumbai, including the residential premises of some of the office-bearers of the foundation run by Naik.
After reports of Naik’s deportation went viral on internet and Indian Media, Naik issued a statement he would not return to India till he felt “safe from unfair prosecution”.