Religious edu can protect children from radicalisation

Religious and moral education can prevent children from being radicalised in their future life, speakers told a conference yesterday.

The education imparting either through mosques or temples can also restrain them from being engaged in criminal activities and drug abuse, they said. 

However, they warned, distorted religious education can turn them into fanatics regardless which religion they follow. 

Hindu Religious Welfare Trust of religious affairs ministry organised the conference at Krishibid Institute Bangladesh in the capital, marking completion of the fourth phase of the Temple Based Child and Mass Literacy Programme.

Around 5,13,750 people, including 4,95,000 children, of 490 upazilas in the country received non-formal basic education in the fourth phase of the programme, implemented from July 2014 to June 2017.

The welfare trust implemented the programme through opening 5,750 education centres at different temples across the county. Its next phase is expected to begin from July this year.

State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Narayon Chandra Chanda said the practice of religious education and manners at the early stage of life can help children become good persons in the future.

“...every religion has some individuality, and such religious practices need to be continued,” he said.

Religious Affairs Minister Motiur Rahman, chief guest of the conference, said the education programme helped the country achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

It also played an important role in women empowerment as approximately 80 percent teachers of the temple-based education centres were females, he said.

Sadhan Chandra Majumdar, member of the parliamentary standing committee on religious affairs ministry; Md Abdul Jalil, secretary of the ministry; Justice Gour Gopal Saha, vice chairman of the welfare trust; and Swapan Kumar Baral, project director of the temple based programme, also spoke among others.