President Calls for Building Bangladesh Based on Equal Rights and Communal Harmony

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for working together to ensure the rights and dignity of people from Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and ethnic minority communities in Bangladesh.

The President made the call during a courtesy meeting with a delegation of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front at Bangabhaban on Monday (September 28).

During the meeting, the President said that people of all communities have equal rights in the country. People belonging to Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim communities, among others, live together in Bangladesh. He said a harmonious Bangladesh must be built by ensuring equal rights, dignity and opportunities for all.

The President said everyone must work collectively to take the country forward on the right path by overcoming the crises created by the previous government. He said he was also aware of the various problems, sufferings and expectations of ethnic minority, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities.

The President gratefully recalled the significant participation and cooperation of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities in making the 13th parliamentary election a success. Referring to the increased nomination of candidates from Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities for reserved women’s seats, he said the government was firmly committed to ensuring equal participation of people from all communities in the country’s development and progress.

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir called for the formation of a national committee comprising representatives of Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities. He said such a committee could play an effective role in properly raising various issues in coordination with the government. He further said representation and participation of everyone must be ensured in the country’s development, adding that no single side can move forward alone.

During the meeting, the delegation invited the President to visit the Dhakeshwari Temple and the Ramna Kali Temple puja mandaps in Dhaka during the upcoming Durga Puja. President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir accepted the invitation and assured them of his presence.

The delegation also placed various demands before the President. In response, he stressed the importance of working collectively to help those who had been deprived in the past move forward and assured the delegation that the issues raised would be considered with due importance.

The delegation included Saching Prue Jerry, Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs; Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and Chairman of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Foundation; Tapan Chandra Majumder, Adviser to the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust; Advocate John Gomes, Deputy Secretary for Religious Affairs and member of the BNP National Executive Committee; Sushil Chandra Barua, member of the BNP National Executive Committee and adviser to the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front; and members of the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities.

The President’s Military Secretary, Secretary and Press Secretary were also present.