NEW DELHI: After clamping down on Zakir Naik, Bangladesh on Friday asked India to share details of its investigations against the controversial Islamic preacher.
“From Bangladesh’s side, Zakir Naik’s case has been settled. We have stopped the broadcast of Peace TV. In the last one year, ulemas came up with written complaints against Naik. We are examining it. We think his teachings, in certain cases, are not in compliance with the Quran or Hadith. So, that is creating confusion,” Bangladeshi Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu told reporters here. The Bangladeshi Information Minister is on a six-day visit to India.
Naik had shot to prominence after it came to light that the perpetrators of the Gulshan attack in July were inspired by listening to the sermons of the Mumbai-based preacher.
“In certain cases, it is instigating. So, we have taken our position. We have asked the Indian side to take their position and give us necessary information,” Inu added. Bangladesh had banned Naik’s Peace TV following the terror attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan Thana locality on July 1 in which 29 people were killed.
Following the attack, Indian authorities launched scrutiny of his sermons, speeches and literature under the Islamic Research Foundation (IRF). Naik is presently in Dubai.
The minister, however, ruled out the involvement of Islamic State in the spate of attacks on thinkers and bloggers and other terrorist attacks in Bangladesh. He held home grown terrorist network in the country responsible for the attacks.
“There is no so-called radicalisation in my country. So, terrorism has a top-down approach in our country. It is not like Pakistan. In my country, a few people are involved in terrorist activities,” Inu explained.
He said terrorism in Bangladeshi has its roots in Jamat-i-Islami and Pakistan’s secret service agency, ISI.
About his meeting with Information and Broadcasting Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Inu said both sides have agreed to broadcast their respective national TV channels in each other’s country.