After visiting a Puja mandap in Rangpur, Tarique visited Dharmasabha Temple in Rajshahi before joining celebrations at JM Sen Hall in Rahmatganj, Chattogram, on Tuesday evening.
TOI Correspondent from Dhaka: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has visited Rangpur, Rajshahi and Chattogram to exchange greetings with members of the Hindu community during Durga Puja, the community’s largest religious festival.He called for a peaceful and harmonious environment where people of all faiths can live together for generations, reaffirming his government’s commitment to building a democratic, prosperous Bangladesh that embraces people from all walks of life.After visiting a Puja mandap in Rangpur, Tarique visited Dharmasabha Temple in Rajshahi before joining celebrations at JM Sen Hall in Rahmatganj, Chattogram, on Tuesday evening.
He is scheduled to return to Dhaka tonight.The five-day festivities will conclude on October 21 with the immersion of idols on Bijoya Dashami.The government has raised its financial grant for Durga Puja from Tk 4 crore to Tk 5 crore. Bijon Kanti Sarkar, the prime minister’s special assistant for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and ethnic minority affairs, said the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust had initially sought Tk 4 crore, with the allocation increased following the prime minister’s approval.
“Our commitment is to build a welfare-oriented, safe and humane Bangladesh for all citizens, regardless of political affiliation, opinion, religion or ethnicity,” Tarique said.“May the message of harmony and communal solidarity enrich our diverse society and shared way of life. Religion is for individuals; the state belongs to everyone. Religion is a personal choice; the right to security belongs to all.”He urged members of the Hindu community to celebrate Durga Puja across the country with enthusiasm, joy, confidence and a sense of security.