Govt to act instantly

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the government was committed to take action against those defaming Prophet Muhammad (SM) or Islam in the social media and that there was no need for waging movements in this regard.
She alleged that opposition leader Khaleda Zia had been destroying the country through killing police and mass people, attacking minorities and schoolchildren, cutting down trees, destroying roads, resorting to vandalism and calling hartals only to save a few war criminals.
The PM also directed the people to put up resistance in each area against the troublemakers of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, describing them as enemies of the country.
Addressing a meeting of the Awami League Central Working Committee at Gono Bhaban, Hasina, who is also AL president, said: “No one needs to make any demand for the punishment of those hurting religion. We know what to do.”
Her speech came ahead of Hefajat-e Islam's April 6 long march towards Dhaka, demanding punishment to what it said the atheists of the Shahbagh movement.
The prime minister said, “Whenever there has been any defamatory content about our Prophet Muhammad [SM] on YouTube, we have closed it down out of our own feelings. None had to wage a movement, go for a blockade, or submit a memorandum to the government.”
Hasina said her government had already formed a high-powered committee to identify those hurting Islam in the social media. “If the committee finds anyone involved in evil deeds, it will take immediate action,” she said.
Condemning Khaleda Zia for her various recent activities, Hasina said, “You [Khaleda] have been carrying out destructive activities one after another only to save the war criminals.”
She urged the opposition leader to refrain from “suicidal” activities, saying the war crimes trial was a people's demand and the government was firmly committed to try the war criminals.
Democracy, she noted, had been restored in the country through innumerable sacrifices, "but Khaleda suffocates in democracy" and that was why she instigated the army and wanted to use militants to destroy the country.
On Khaleda's visits to different areas, the AL chief said the opposition leader made such visits to "sympathise" with the people only a day or two after her party men had attacked and vandalised Hindu temples.
Hasina alleged Khaleda had been conspiring to cancel the GSP facilities and sending of army and police members to UN peacekeeping missions.
She also warned that the criminal activities by the opposition leader would not be tolerated.
The ALCWC meeting observed that the Shahbagh protesters should end their continuous programmes, saying that every movement had an end. But the meeting also thanked the Gonojagoron Mancha for launching the movement as it rekindled the spirit of the Liberation War.
AL leaders Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Abdur Rahman, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Hasan Mahmud, among others, said the protesters should end their nonstop agitation (which began on February 5, demanding capital punishment to war criminals) and should concentrate on their studies.
Matia Chowdhury, Abdul Latif Siddique and Nooh-ul-Alam Lenin also took part in the discussion.
Hasina directed the party leaders to strengthen the party's grassroots levels.
The meeting extended the tenure of all district committees by six more months and asked the leaders to hold district councils within two months.