DHAKA: Bangladesh has launched a crackdown on Internet sites for “hurting religious feelings” in the majority Muslim nation amid protests by Islamic groups against bloggers seen as anti-Islamic, officials said yesterday.
Giasuddin Ahmed, vice chairman of the country’s telecommunications regulator, said at least two websites had been blocked. Authorities had also removed 10 blog posts for “spreading hatred, provoking social disorder and hurting religious feelings of the people”.
Authorities have also asked blog operators to “moderate” their posts to try to filter out anti-religious writings.
Tensions have risen in the country over alleged anti-Islamic blog posts by Ahmed Rajib Haider, who was hacked to death near his home in the capital Dhaka last week.
In recent weeks Haider and fellow bloggers had launched huge protests demanding a ban on the largest Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami, and the execution of its leaders for alleged war crimes in the 1971 liberation struggle.
Police have yet to comment on a motive for Haider’s killing.
AFP
