Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today (20 October) said every citizen of Bangladesh enjoys equal rights regardless of religion, ethnicity, profession or social identity, stressing that the government wants to build the desired Bangladesh by bringing people of all faiths together without leaving anyone behind.
"Under the country's Constitution and laws, every citizen has equal rights. Whatever facilities and opportunities a citizen is entitled to receive from the state, every other citizen is equally entitled to," he said.
The prime minister made the remarks while exchanging greetings with members of the Hindu community after visiting a Durga Puja mandap at Dharmasabha (Radha Gobinda Temple) in Rajshahi this afternoon.
Extending greetings to people of all faiths on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja, Tarique Rahman said the BNP considers everyone born and raised in Bangladesh a Bangladeshi citizen.
"Regardless of a person's religion, profession or ethnic identity, their rights as citizens are equal," he added.
The Prime Minister said people of all faiths must work together to build the Bangladesh they aspire to see, adding that unity would enable them to achieve that goal.
He said everyone's support and cooperation were essential to this effort, as the country's overall development would not be possible by leaving any community behind.
"We were born in Bangladesh and grew up here. We have to live here, and our children will also grow up in this country.
So, let us all work together to build the Bangladesh we aspire to," he said.
He said Bangladeshi identity was the common identity of all people in the country and that people of every religion were equal in the government's eyes.
Tarique Rahman said the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had been entrusted with running the country through the people's votes and that, as prime minister, he wanted to take the country forward with people of all faiths.
He sought everyone's cooperation in national development and building the country's desired future, and again extended his greetings to members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja.
The temple authorities welcomed the prime minister on his arrival at the puja mandap. He later attended an exchange-of-views meeting with members of the Hindu community, who called for the formation of a fund to support puja celebrations and the establishment of temples.
They also expressed satisfaction with the government's increased grants and support for this year's Durga Puja celebrations.
The prime minister handed over a cheque for Tk 10 lakh to the temple authorities.
The prime minister was accompanied by BNP Standing Committee Member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor AZM Zahid Hossain, BNP Acting Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, prime minister's Adviser Rehan Asif Asad, Special Assistant to the prime minister Bijon Kanti Sarker and BNP Special Secretary Belayet Hossain Mridha, among others.
This was Tarique Rahman's first visit to Rajshahi since forming the government after the BNP won a majority of seats in the 13th parliamentary election.
After visiting the temple and delivering his remarks, the prime minister left for Shah Makhdum Airport to travel to Chattogram for the next leg of his tour.
Earlier in the day, Tarique Rahman departed Tejgaon Airport in Dhaka at 9:00am and arrived at Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari at 9:50am by a military aircraft.
From Saidpur, he travelled to Rangpur, where he addressed roadside gatherings at Taraganj and Paglapir and visited the puja mandap at Radha Gobinda Temple to exchange greetings with devotees.
Maha Navami, the ninth day of the Sharadiya Durga Puja festival, falls today. The five-day festivities will conclude tomorrow with the immersion of idols on Bijoya Dashami.