Highest Constitutional Authority Must Speak with Utmost Responsibility and Caution

Two religious organisations, including Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh and the National Ulama Alliance, have expressed strong objections and protests regarding recent remarks made by Bangladesh’s President at a Hindu religious event. The leaders claimed that presenting any deity as the saviour or protector of the world directly contradicts the core Islamic creed of Tawhid and deeply hurts the religious sentiments of devout Muslims. Consequently, both groups called upon the President to immediately withdraw his statement and offer a clear explanation.

In a joint statement, Hefazat-e-Islam Ameer Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagari and Secretary General Allama Sheikh Sajidur Rahman emphasised that high-ranking state officials must exercise caution and responsibility. They stated, ‘Portraying any deity as the saviour of the whole world goes against the Islamic doctrine of Tawhid,’ reaffirming that Almighty Allah alone is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. They noted that careless remarks by top officials can trigger unwanted public debate, warning that scholars and Muslims would be compelled to raise their voices in protest if their demands are ignored.

Echoing similar concerns, National Ulama Alliance spokesperson Mufti Rafiqul Islam Aini strongly condemned the President’s statement that whenever injustice descended not only upon Bangladesh but upon the whole world, Goddess Durga appeared. Speaking on behalf of the alliance, he urged the President to provide a proper explanation to the nation’s Muslim majority. Aini stressed that such remarks by the President of a Muslim-majority country have deeply hurt the faith and sentiments of devout Muslims, urging the highest office to reflect due sensitivity toward the majority’s religious beliefs.

Both organisations highlighted that while Bangladesh guarantees religious freedom and mutual respect among communities, respecting another faith should never mean endorsing statements that conflict with one’s own fundamental beliefs. Hefazat leaders maintained that showing respect for others’ beliefs should not involve making or supporting statements that conflict with the fundamental creed of one’s own faith. They argued that true communal harmony relies on maintaining mutual respect while upholding the distinct identity and dignity of individual religious beliefs without compromise.

Concluding their statements, the leaders reminded the public that the President holds the nation’s supreme constitutional post and does not merely represent an individual or a single political party. National Ulama Alliance leaders stated, ‘While spreading hatred against followers of any religion is unacceptable, statements conflicting with the core principles of Islam under the guise of respecting others’ beliefs cannot be accepted either’. Both organisations reiterated that if the President fails to withdraw his remarks, religious scholars and devout citizens across the country will be forced to launch systematic protests to defend their faith.