Hasnat regrets ‘misunderstanding’ over Brahmanbaria remarks in Parliament

Cumilla-4 MP and National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah has expressed regret over a “misunderstanding” created by his remarks in Parliament about incidents involving cultural programmes in Brahmanbaria, saying he had raised the issues as part of his criticism of the government’s handling of law and order.

In a post on his verified Facebook account today (29 August), Hasnat said Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed’s recent remarks that music, songs and cinema were “virtually banned” in Brahmanbaria had wrongly shifted responsibility for the ministry’s failure onto the people of the district and Islamic scholars there.

He said the media reports about a police concert being stopped in Brahmanbaria did not reflect the actual sequence of events.

According to Hasnat, madrasa students whose studies were being disrupted by loud music late at night had asked for the volume to be reduced, following which an altercation with police broke out and several students were injured in a baton charge.

“Although the media presented it differently, it is clear from the sequence of events that the madrasa students did not stop the concert. They only asked to reduce the sound,” he said.

Hasnat also acknowledged an error in his parliamentary remarks concerning a boat race, saying he had referred to Brahmanbaria instead of Sylhet.

“I am embarrassed by the unintended misunderstanding caused by this error. I express regret for the unintended situation,” he said.

He said time constraints during his supplementary question had prevented him from explaining the broader context of the incidents, adding that he believed it was his responsibility to discuss both the core events and how they were presented in the media.

Hasnat reiterated his commitment to the ideals of the July movement, saying these included an inclusive society where people’s rights would be protected and no individual or group would be allowed to impose its views on others.

“This Bangladesh belongs to everyone,” he said, listing mosques, temples, music, religious sermons, shrines, concerts, mahfils, chariot processions and film festivals as part of the country’s diverse social and cultural landscape.

He said the government’s responsibility was to ensure that no one could curtail another person’s rights, arguing that failure to provide such security would undermine law and order and public safety.

Earlier, in Parliament on Thursday (27 August), Hasnat had criticised the government over its response to the cancellation of cultural programmes at police lines in Kishoreganj and Brahmanbaria.

Following his remarks, protesters under the banner of the Qawmi Students’ Unity Council held a procession in Brahmanbaria yesterday (28 August) and warned that the NCP’s scheduled programmes in the district would not be allowed unless Hasnat apologised for his parliamentary remarks.