Thousands take to streets in B’desh in protest against France

Dhaka: Tens of thousands of Muslims marched in the streets of Bangladesh’s capital on Monday in the country’s largest protest yet against the French president’s support of secular laws that allow caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
The protesters, organised by the Hefazat-e-Islam group, a network of teachers and students at thousands of Islamic schools, gathered outside the main Baitul Mokarram Mosque in downtown Dhaka. They chanted “Down with France” and “Boycott French Products” and burned effigies of French President Emmanuel Macron.
“I ask the French government to apologise to the 2 billion Muslims in the world. I also ask the world’s Muslims to demonstrate their faith by boycotting French products and terminating diplomatic relations with France,” Nur-Husain-Kashemi, a leader of the group, told the protesters.
“I ask the government to shut down the French Embassy. It’s a shame that they haven’t passed a resolution of condemnation in Parliament,” he said.
Monday’s protest was the largest in a series of anti-France demonstrations in Bangladesh since last week that have called for the closure of the French Embassy and for PM Sheikh Hasina to condemn France. Hasina has yet to officially comment. (AP)