Scores of people have been killed in clashes which erupted in February — at least 37 died as police tried to quash protests in the capital Dhaka, where 70,000 Islamist demonstrators took to the streets on May 5, calling for the introduction of an anti-blas-phemy law.
This was the deadline that one Islamist group, Hefazat e-Islam Bangladesh (HIB), had given the government to implement its demands, which include shari’a rule, virtual segregation of women and the death sentence for those who insult Islam or Muhammad.
An anti-blasphemy law would be disastrous for Christians in Bangladesh. Their counterparts in Pakistan suffer grievously as a result of the blasphemy laws there, under which they are vulnerable to malicious false accusation.
In 2010, a constitutional amendment that had allowed religion-based politics was declared void, so as to underline the secular nature of the state. The government has, however, indicated, that the ban on religious parties will not be strictly enforced, giving groups like HIB a platform ahead of the general election due early next year. Barnabas Fund
