The modern crown prince of Saudi Arabia has been in the news in recent weeks for his progressive moves, moving out of the strict Islamic strictures or even taboos. I welcome this development as a signal to countries like Bangladesh, where progressive forces have been sidelined since the 1975 assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The Jamaat-e-Islami and few other such groups were backed by Middle Eastern countries, especially Saudi Arabia. The mollahs always referred to Saudi Arabia for its religious practices, including all the rage for the hijab. Let us look forward to returning to a progressive and graft-free Bangladesh, with more forward-looking moves by the Ccrown prince.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 02, 2018 16:01 UTC