Islamists protest US naval presence for cyclone relief

Dhaka, Nov 24 - Several hundred activists of the radical Islamic group Hizb ut Tahrir staged protests here before the arrival of two ships of the US Navy for distributing relief supplies among cyclone-affected people.

Two warships, USS Essex and USS Kearsarge -- each carrying 20 helicopters and 3,500 marines on board with emergency relief supplies, medical and emergency evacuation teams -- are scheduled to enter Bangladesh waters Saturday and Tuesday.

The protesters Friday carried a banner reading 'Prevent American ships from entering the Bay of Bengal in the name of distributing relief' and chanted slogans 'Go back to America' and 'US has no place in Bangladesh'.

The outfit's leader Kazi Morshedul Haque told the rally that every Bangladeshi had come forward to help cyclone victims along with the army, navy and air force, 'so it is a shame on us, Muslims, that we are allowing the US on our land'.

The protest was held amidst tight security at Baitul Muqarram, one of the country's largest mosques and a major Dhaka landmark where religious gatherings take place.

The protestors were allowed to hold the meeting, but were intercepted by the police and paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) when they tried to stage a march.

The police picked up the organisation's leaders soon after the protest, while they were returning home, the New Age newspaper reported Saturday.

While the Bangladesh Government has appealed for help from the international community and many countries have responded, pledging over $550 million and flying in relief material, Islamists have opposed the presence of the US military.

'It will be a big support for us. With the joining of US Marines and ships, our relief operation and rehabilitation in the cyclone-hit districts will be boosted,' said Brigadier General Kazi Abidus Samad, head of operation and planning at the Armed Forces Division.

The Islamist groups in Bangladesh, as elsewhere in the Muslim world, have been protesting the US presence in Afghanistan and Iraq.

While the Kearsarge was in the Gulf region, the Essex was wrapping up an exercise in South Korea when they were ordered to head for Bangladesh.

The ships could be used in medical evacuation and survey of the cyclone-ravaged areas and will coordinate their relief efforts with the Bangladesh military, the US embassy in Dhaka said in a statement.

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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