Hasnat apologises over Brahmanbaria remarks after 'Tawhidi Janta' backlash

Hasnat Abdullah, Member of Parliament for Cumilla-4 constituency, has expressed regret over a misunderstanding created by his recent remarks regarding the Brahmanbaria incident. In a social media post on Saturday (August 29), he apologised to the people of Brahmanbaria.

Earlier, Hasnat had given a speech in parliament demanding accountability of the Home Minister over the deteriorating law and order situation. His remarks referenced cultural activities, music and boat races in Brahmanbaria, which drew reactions from various quarters in the district.

In his post, Hasnat said the Home Minister had recently claimed that music, cultural events and cinema were almost banned in Brahmanbaria. Hasnat alleged that through this statement, the Home Minister had shifted the blame for his ministry's failures onto the people and scholars of Brahmanbaria, tarnishing their image.

Hasnat also addressed the incident of a police concert being stopped in Brahmanbaria. He said the way the event was presented in the media was different from reality. Due to loud noise late at night, madrasa students' studies were being disrupted, and they had requested the volume to be lowered. A verbal altercation between police and students escalated, and several students were injured in police baton charges, he claimed.

Hasnat stated that madrasa students did not stop the concert—they only asked for the volume to be lowered. Therefore, he said, it was not correct to create the impression that cultural activities had been banned in Brahmanbaria.

However, Hasnat admitted his factual error regarding the boat race. He said he mistakenly mentioned Brahmanbaria instead of Sylhet while referring to the location. He expressed embarrassment and regret over the unintended misunderstanding caused by this error.

He further said he should have explained the main incident and the media's presentation of it in more detail in parliament, but time constraints for supplementary questions prevented him from doing so.

In his post, Hasnat also reaffirmed his political stance. He said he and his party uphold the ideals of July and want all policies and decisions to be based on those ideals. He said July envisions an inclusive society where everyone's rights are ensured, and no one can impose their views on others.

Hasnat said Bangladesh should have space for mosques, temples, music, sermons, shrines, concerts, religious gatherings, rathajatra and film festivals. Whatever one prefers, they can go there; whatever one does not like, they can avoid. The government's responsibility is to ensure that the rights of others are not violated because of one person.

He said when the government fails to ensure people's safety, law and order and public security deteriorate, and the government's failure becomes apparent. He said this was what he had intended to highlight in parliament.

Hasnat further said July was a movement for everyone—regardless of religion, caste or class. The goal was to restore people's rights and build an inclusive society that respects Bangladesh's diversity. He said he would continue his efforts to build that Bangladesh.