PM says will urge ban on anti-Islam film

Dhaka, Sep 16 Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that she would urge the US to ban screening or publicity of the film 'Innocence of Muslims', which 'mocks' the Prophet Mohammad and portrays him as a 'buffoon'.
"I came to know that a film has been made about Prophet Mohammad. We strongly criticise such act," she said while inaugurating this year's Hajj Camp
The crudely made 13-minute English-language movie, filmed in California and circulated on the Internet under several titles including "Innocence of Muslims", triggered protests by Muslims across the world.

"I will request the US government to ban its screening and ensure strong punishment to those responsible."

The film helped generate a violent protest at the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi during which the US ambassador and three other Americans were killed on Tuesday. US officials said they believed militants used the protest as cover to carry out an armed assault on the diplomatic compound and a building that was supposed to be a safe house.
Protests have spread to other countries across the Muslim world. In Bangladesh, a number of Islamist organisations hosted agitation programmes and burned the US flag.
The Bangladesh government on Saturday also officially condemned the film. The foreign ministry statement said that it was aware that some people have tried to defend such "offensive material" on the pretext of "freedom of expression" and argued that "Inciting hatred cannot be justified as freedom of expression."
For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous. Caricatures deemed insulting in the past have provoked protests and drawn condemnations from officials, preachers, ordinary Muslims and many Christians.