The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed yesterday said that the Government was mulling over inclusion of the Kaumi madrasas within the range of the Education Ministry to facilitate its education system.

The Minister was talking to reporters after launching a workshop on 'Anti-Terrorism Act-2009'organised by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) at its conference room in the capital.

"Madrasas have been set up for providing only religious education since 1975. These institutions did not incorporate any modern and time-befitting education in their curriculum, he added.

The Minister said the Government was working for bringing all the madrasas under a policy for ensuring time-befitting education.

The Minister also favoured the restoration of the 1972 constitution, which was disrupted by the military rule of 1975, aiming to establish Bangladesh as a secular democratic country saying, " If we go back to 1972 constitution there will not be any religion-based political organisations."

He said after killing Father of the Nation Bangabandhu, the constitution was amended giving priority to religion, which helped emerge religious fundamentalism in the country.

The Minister also announced that they would reconsider the money laundering law to curb funding of militant organisations and said that about 122 militant organisations were active in different parts of the country.

He also said that other recommendations might come out from the workshops that might help the government in handling the militancy.

While addressing the audience the Supreme Court lawyer Shirin S Chaudhury opined that the existing anti-terrorism law was not enough to address terrorism.

She described the law as a comprehensive legislation and said it addresses issues like terror-financing and cross-border terrorism.

Former Adviser of the caretaker government ASM Shahjahan, who addressed the workshop as special guest, highlighted the need for a national and regional unity to address terrorism in the country. Political will and unity also are essential in this regard, he added.

President of the BEI Farooq Sobhan presided over the workshop while members of the civil society, lawyers, and representatives from different government and non-government organisations, among others, were present at the workshop.