President calls on government, opposition to work together to protect democracy

Sylhet Bureau

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called on the government and opposition parties to work together to protect democracy, saying Parliament must be made effective and consensus must be maintained on fundamental issues despite differences of opinion.

He said Bangladesh has regained democracy by ousting the fascist government at the cost of sacrifices and lives. The country now has an opportunity to institutionalise democracy, and protecting democracy is the main task.

The President said Sylhet is very dear to him and that he comes here whenever possible and receives warm hospitality from the people. He said the people of Sylhet stood by them during difficult times and that he had been with them in the past and would remain with them in the future, InshaAllah.

He said the government and opposition must work together to protect democracy and make Parliament effective. “There will be differences of opinion, but there must be consensus on fundamental issues,” he said, adding that the future struggle is to rebuild the country, strengthen democracy and leave a prosperous country for the next generation.

The President made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon in response to a civic reception hosted by Sylhet City Corporation at Nagar Bhaban. City Corporation Administrator Abdul Qayyum Chowdhury chaired the programme.

He said the country had stumbled many times and now had another opportunity to rebuild itself. “We must not lose this opportunity. We must stand on our own feet,” he said.

Referring to the presence of people from different ethnic communities in Sylhet, the President said communal harmony is particularly strong there. “Nowhere is communal harmony as strong as it is in Bangladesh,” he said.

At the beginning of his speech, he said he could not speak to them in the same way he had done as a political worker because he had taken an oath to work and speak in a completely non-partisan manner.

He said Sylhet is a source of pride for Bangladesh as Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA) are buried there. He also recalled the memory of Sri Chaitanya Dev and said prominent figures including Hason Raja, Radharaman Dutta, Shitalang Shah, Shah Abdul Karim and Hemanga Biswas were born in Sylhet. M.A.G. Osmani, Saifur Rahman, M.A. Khan and Elias Ali were also born there.

The President said Sylhet has a distinct culture and its tea gardens are famous worldwide. Expatriates from Sylhet have been contributing to the country’s economy, he said, describing the people as peace-loving and protest-minded.

He called on expatriates to invest in Sylhet, noting the region’s investment and industrial potential.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and Whip G.K. Gaus also spoke at the programme.

The President arrived at Sylhet Osmani International Airport from Dhaka on a US-Bangla Airlines flight on Tuesday morning. His wife accompanied him. He later visited the shrines of Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA) and paid his respects.

This was his first visit to Sylhet since assuming office.