Now he is one of the most influential proponents of family planning activities of the locality and doing his best to make other religious leaders understand and remove misunderstanding regarding family planning.

He says that for the physical well-being of mother and building a strong nation, it is a must that all people will make a planned family and it has no disagreement in the Holy Quran or in the Hadiths against a planned family; rather the Quran and the Hadiths teach us to do so.

For making a planned family, we need to practice family planning methods as because these are the developed mechanism of practicing 'Azl'. Answering to a question 'why we should practice present family planning methods instead of practicing safe period' he argued that "practicing safe period is definitely a method of family planning, but is very hazardous; whereas the modern methods are less hazardous, safe and suitable for health".

However, the shift of his opinion regarding family planning did not happen all on a sudden. He was invited to attend a National Orientation Meeting on Family Planning in the Light of Islam held on March 5, 2005 at International Jute Study Group Study Conference room at Dhaka, the first ever programme by Engender Health on Family Planning and Islam. He was also invited in the Brahmanbaria district orientation Meeting held on February 13, 2006 at Zila Parishad Conference room. He attended both the programmes.

In his first meeting in Dhaka, he raised no questions about family planning being permissible in Islam, but after going back to Brahmanbaria while he was attending the district meeting he was quite vocal and raised many questions and comments on the present family planning activities of the Ministry of Health of Family Welfare and opined that the family planning activity was a conspiracy work of the Christians against the Muslims of Bangladesh.

It was quite appreciative that on February 13 meeting, he was very open and opined frankly regarding family planning activities and related issues and explained these against the programme for 'Orientation on Family Planning in the Light of Islam'.

At this district meeting in Brahmanbaria we came to know that Moulana Aziz is a very influential religious leader among Qwami School of thoughts. We then collected his address and requested him to give some time to have meeting with us. We sat personally with him and having referred to the book on 'Family Planning in the Light of Islam' we requested him to go through more on the issues from the directives of the Quran and the Hadiths. Being a religious scholar he went through the references.

Now, referring to his newly formed opinion, he tells that with the permission and active support from the islamic scholars the muslim countries like Pakistan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. have undertaken family planning programmes and it is a demand of time.

"We need strong committed muslims, not weak and uncommitted muslims. We need to concentrate more on the quality rather than quantity. And for all of this we must practice family planning."

Now Moulana Mizan Bin Aziz is one of the key members of the National Resources Pool for advocating family planning in the orientation session for the Imams.
About Male Involvement Forum
Male Involvement Forum (MIF) is a platform of organisations and individuals, in the backdrop of low male performance in overall reproductive health practice and programme, working together to promote men's involvement in reproductive health in Bangladesh, since May 2002. The Forum is working with its 46 members including GOB, NGO officials and other influential civil society body.

The writer of this article is a member of this Forum, working in Engender Health.