December 29, 2001	Saturday	Shawwal 13, 1422

DHAKA, Dec 28: Bangladesh’s top religious leader said on Thursday he had committed no crime by showing sympathy to the people of Afghanistan for the suffering caused to them by the United States bombing.

Maulana Obaidul Huq, imam at Dhaka’s Baitul Mukarram mosque, accused the US of crossing all limits by calling him a “misguided” person in an interview published by the widely circulated daily, Ittefaq.

Huq stirred up a controversy by allegedly terming the US and its President George Bush the greatest terrorists in the world for attacking Afghanistan on the plea of hunting out Osama bin Laden.

He made the allegations during the Eid sermon. The prayers were attended by President Badruddoza Chowdhury, ministers and other senior government officials.

Huq’s remarks provoked a sharp reaction from the US embassy in Dhaka which released a press statement calling him a misguided person.

The US is reportedly putting pressure on the Bangladesh government to sack Huq for making disparaging comments on the American action which are not in line with the official policy of Bangladesh.—dpa