Bangladesh is protest against ending Islam as state religion

Bangladesh’s capital to denounce a court petition seeking to remove Islam as the country’s official state religion

Thousands of Muslims rallied in Bangladesh’s capital to denounce a court petition seeking to remove Islam as the country’s official state religion.

About 3,000 Muslims protested outside the national mosque in Dhaka against the petition, filed by a group of prominent citizens, which is to be taken up by the High Court on Sunday.

“We are here to give a message to authorities that we will not tolerate any move to cancel Islam as state religion,” said Abdur-Rahim, a participant. “We will resist such moves at any cost”.

More than 90 percent of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are Muslims. Hindus and Buddhists are the main religious minorities.

The protest, which began after weekly Friday prayers, was organized by the citizens’ group Touhidi Janata and the Islamist group Hefajat-e-Islam. No large political parties were involved.