The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Sylhet

Foreign Adviser Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury urged an imam delegation from Sylhet to provide guidance to people and lead them along the path of development.

He was speaking to a large delegation of Imams of the mosques of Sylhet and ulema from the region who called on him at Sylhet circuit house on Friday.

The Foreign Adviser told them that the imams and ulema of Sylhet have a special responsibility in this regard as Sylhet is known as the land of the enlightened holy men Hazrat Shahjalal® and Hazrat Shah Paran ®.

"They spread Islam in these parts as the great faith of enlightenment and tolerance. We owe it to their legacy to spread those messages," the Foreign Adviser said.

Thanking the Imams for their constant prayers and urgings on the people of Sylhet to produce more boro, Dr Iftekhar said "The government appreciates that your work contributed to the bumper harvest in Boro we are expecting this season in Sylhet, a region where traditionally a lot of land usually remained uncultivated in the past."

He expressed the hope that in a similar fashion, the imams would provide leadership in development efforts.

The Foreign Adviser noted that the current foreign policy of Bangladesh was emphasizing relationship with the Asian countries which included Islamic states "from where we receive remittances, investments and moral support."

He said Bangladesh had recently signed several lobour-export agreements with the Islamic Gulf countries and added that he would travel to Oman to sign another one with that country.

Dr. Iftekhar Chowdhury further observed: "Hazrat Shah Jalal ® had always preached love and understanding. Those values form the essential ingredients of Islam. We must not engender negative opinion against anyone just because he thinks differently."

As Foreign Adviser, he assured them that in the international arena Bangladesh would always stand by causes close to Muslim hearts.

As a member of the government, he also underscored that "the government would not promulgate any law contrary to the tenets of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah."

The meeting was attended by Sylhet Divisional President of Imam Samity Maulana Shah Nazrul Islam, President of Sylhet Metropolitan Unit of Imam Samity and the Imam of Sheikhghat Mosque Maulana Abdullah Ansar, President of Syhet District unit and Imam of Shah Jalal University Mosque Maulana Matiur Rahman, Imam of Kudratullah Mosque Maulana Qari Jamir Uddin, Maulana Habib Ahmed Shihab, Secretary General of Metropolitan unit of Imam Samity Maulana Ehsan Uddin, Mufti Maulana Mofizur Rahman and Adviser to the Imam Samity and the President of Sylhet Press Club Muktabis un Nur.