Take legal action against Shafi

The Gonoforum yesterday demanded that the government take legal action against Hefajat-e-Islam chief Shah Ahmed Shafi immediately for his recent remarks on girls' education.

In a press statement, Gonoforum President Dr Kamal Hossain and General Secretary Mostafa Mohsin Montu said his comments were “offensive” and go against women's education, spirit of the Liberation War, and the constitution. Giving wrong interpretations of religion and issuing fatwas, Shafi wants to take the society backwards, they said.

Addressing a rally in Chattogram on Friday, the Hefajat chief made parents promise that they would not send their daughters to school. “At most, you can allow them to study up to class IV or V, so that they can maintain their husbands' accounts and write letters to them,” he said.

The comments triggered a firestorm of protest including on social media.

In a separate statement, Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra also demanded action against Shafi, terming his comments “destructive.”