3 on remand for fatwa
The Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Kushtia on Wednesday granted one day's remand for three people, including a mosque imam, in a case for issuing a fatwa (edict) forbidding women to work at fields.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Mizanur Rahman passed the order.
Those who were put on remand are Mohammad Abu Musa, imam of Kalyanpur Jame Masjid at Kalyanpur village in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia, the mosque managing committee president Altaf Hossain and general secretary Motiar Rahman.
Last Friday, some people led by the imam sat at a close-door meeting after the Jumma prayers at the mosque.
Later, they announced through the mosque loudspeaker that no women in the area would be allowed to go to field for work.
“The imam said through loudspeaker that women are harmful for crops and their appearance in fields will cause antisocial activities,” said Abdul Khaleq, officer-in-charge of Kumarkhali Police Station.
Common people of the area reacted against the fatwa.
On Monday night, Biplob Kanti Sarker, sub-inspector of the police station, filed a case against six people involved in issuing the fatwa.
Police arrested the accused -- Abu Musa, Altaf Hossain, Motiar Rahman, Ansar Ali, Abul Hossain and Abu Daud on Tuesday night.
Police produced them before the court on Wednesday afternoon.
Defying the fatwa, women of the area have continued going to fields for work.
“I must go to work at field. Otherwise, who will feed me and my two kids?” said Sajeda Khatun, whose husband died of cancer two years ago.
Sajeda's eight-year-old son Azmol assists her in field work.
Khaleq Bepari, a poor farmer of Arpara village of Kumarkhali upazila, said, “I am not able to hire labourer and so, I need help of my wife in farming.”
SM Mehedi Hasan, superintendent of police in Kushtia, said, “Police filed a case against the culprits as issuing such fatwa is prohibited. We are determined to check such antisocial elements.”
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