Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday reiterated her call to Islamic scholars, imams and teachers, to prevent the misinterpretation of Islam and widely publicise that Islam does not believe in terrorism, militancy and killing people.

‘It’s my fervent call to you all, including imams, Alem-Ulema alongside teachers, to immensely publicise in mosques, schools, colleges, and universities of the country that Islam is a religion of peace, and it doesn’t believe in terrorism, militancy and killing people. Please continue to do that as people attentively listen to your words,’ she said.

The prime minister said this while addressing the National Imam Conference held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

Chaired by Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matiur Rahman, the function was addressed, among others, by Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Parliamentary Standing Committee chairman on Ministry of Religious Affairs Bazlul Haque Harun.

Religious Affairs Secretary Mohammad Abdul Jalil delivered the address of welcome. Director General of the Bangladesh Islamic Foundation Shamim Mohammad Afzal also spoke at the programme organised by Bangladesh Islamic Foundation.

The Prime Minister handed over prizes among the best Imams and the winners of the National Children-Juveniles Cultural Competition.

Noting that the country’s people, the children and the youth forces must be protected from the cruses drug addiction as well as terrorism and militancy, Hasina said, ‘If you (imams, Alem-Ulema and teachers) properly convince people, then we’ll be able to fully root out terrorism and militancy from the country.’

Hasina said she had already urged teachers and guardians to seriously look whether any student remains absent for long in their respective educational institutions without any valid reason.