Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for communal harmony and equal rights for citizens of all faiths, urging people to rise above religious differences and work together to build Bangladesh.
” This country belongs to you and me. Let us all work together, shoulder to shoulder, to build the country,” he said while addressing members of the ‘We are all Bangladeshi’ Hindu community during a visit to Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital on Monday, marking Durga Puja.
Emphasising that religious identity should not determine a citizen’s rights or status, the prime minister said the state belonged equally to everyone and was responsible for ensuring the security of all citizens.
“Religion may be different – I may follow one religion and you another. But the state belongs to all of us. In Bangladesh, you have rights just as I do. You have duties towards this country, just as I do,” Tarique said.
He said citizens also had a collective responsibility to protect one another, uphold mutual respect and contribute to the country’s progress.
“We are all children of this country, its people and Bangladeshis. We are all human beings. That is our foremost identity,” he said.
Recalling the 1971 Liberation War, Tarique said people had fought for independence without considering whether their fellow fighters were Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or Christians.
He said people of different religious communities had likewise stood together during movements to restore democracy and establish political and voting rights.
Referring to the mass uprising of 5 August 2024, the prime minister said hundreds of thousands of people had taken to the streets without asking one another about their religious identities.
“People of all religions were there that day,” he said.
Tarique said the July Uprising Memorial, which he inaugurated at Osmani Udyan earlier on Monday, commemorated people from different religious communities who had sacrificed their lives for people’s rights.
Urging citizens to remain united in pursuit of national development, he said improvements in the country’s economy and people’s living standards would benefit everyone, regardless of religion.
“When someone suffers, we do not look at their religion. Likewise, when people are doing well, we do not look at their religion. We see that you are human, and I am human,” he said.
The prime minister called on people to recognise and respect one another as fellow human beings and citizens, stressing the importance of solidarity in building a peaceful and prosperous Bangladesh.
Extending greetings to members of the Hindu community on Durga Puja, Tarique described the festival as an occasion for joy and togetherness.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Social Welfare Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain also addressed the programme.