‘Nothing to do with baul songs’
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said baul singer Shariat Sarkar was arrested for his involvement in crime, and it has nothing to do with baul songs.
“As he was arrested, surely he was involved in some crime, or he was arrested as a crime was committed,” she said in reply to a supplementary question from lawmaker Hasanul Huq Inu during the PM’s question-answer session.
The premier said there is nothing wrong in singing baul songs.
“But if an individual baul singer gets involved in any crime, the law will take its own course. It has no relationship with the songs,” she added.
Sheikh Hasina also counter-questioned if all baul singers are above the law, or whether it can be guaranteed that they would never commit any crime.
She advised baul singers not to do anything that put baul songs, which is a world heritage, under question.
The premier, however, said that if anyone commits any offence against baul singers, the government must take punitive actions against the culprits.
“Cutting off someone’s hair or barring performance of songs is not acceptable at all,” she said.
Police arrested Shariat Sarkar (40), a well-known baul artiste, in a case filed under the Digital Security Act on January 11 for allegedly making comments that hurt “religious sentiments.”
During a concert in December, he allegedly criticised Muslim clerics who oppose singing, and challenged anyone to prove that music is forbidden in Islamic scripture.
One Mohammad Faridul Islam filed the case with Mirzapur Police Station on January 9, accusing Shariat of making the comments.
TOUGHER ACTIONS AGAINST CREATING ARTIFICIAL CRISIS OF ESSENTIALS
The prime minister also warned of tougher actions if someone is involved in creating artificial crisis of essential commodities in the market.
In reply to a query from Awami League MP Md Ebadul Karim (Brahmanbaria-5), the premier said some greedy profit-mongers often try to make undue profits and destabilise market by creating artificial crisis of essentials.
“Our government is well aware of this,” she said.
Hasina, also the leader of the House, said, the mobile court drives are being carried out regularly to check prices of essentials, while district administrations in coordination with traders’ associations are monitoring markets.
She said process is going on to control markets through appointing sources and intelligence surveillance.
GOVT DETERMINED TO ESTABLISH RULE OF LAW
In reply to a query from AL lawmaker Mahfuzur Rahman, the premier said the current government is determined to establish rule of law.
“The government has taken programmes to establish the rule of law through appropriate reforms of law and its execution, to provide security to lives and property of the people,” she said.
In the scripted answer, the PM said the AL government has been able to give people the belief that every citizen is equal in the eye of law, and no criminals can escape after committing a crime.
Replying to a query from AL MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker, the PM informed the House that Bangladesh has achieved third position in producing vegetables and fish, fourth position in producing rice, seventh position in producing mango, eighth position in producing potato and guava.
The premier also replied to lawmakers on various issues, including her government’s steps in combating climate change impact, improving the country’s airports and ensuring fair price for farmers for their crops.
Comments