In the light of this report our listeners in the call-in show asked questions on Islamic extremism in Bangladesh, its objectives, Sharia Law and it’s relationship with Islam, the source of funding for the terrorists in Bangladesh, the method to combat it and the relationship between politics and religion. Our panelists in replying to the listeners’ questions said that the objective of the Islamic extremists is to grab the state power and turn Bangladesh into a Sharia state. They think that Sharia state, by definition, is un-Islamic and it is anti-Quranic too. But a lot of people even do not know about this and hence people equate Sharia with Islamic Law. The panelists also discussed about some NGOs which came into being during BNP –led government and are involved with the funding of the terrorists. They discussed the implications of banning religious-based political parties in Bangladesh .
Our panelists were Professor Syed Anwar Hossain of the Department of History, Dhaka University. Professor Abul Barakat of the Department of Economics , Dhaka University and Hasan Mahmud an expert on Sharia and Theology who denounces the use of religion for politics. Professor Anwar Hossain is an analyst on religion and terrorism. Professor Barakat is an analyst on the sources of funding for the terrorists in Bangladesh.
