Establishing democracy in Bangladesh is not possible without ensuring communal harmony, National Citizens’ Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam has said.
He made the remarks during a visit to Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on Friday morning on the occasion of Janmashtami. On behalf of the NCP, he extended greetings to the Hindu (Sanatan) community marking the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna.
Nahid Islam said the NCP had previously visited Dhakeshwari Temple as well, adding that the party believes communal harmony is a prerequisite for building democracy in Bangladesh.
“We cannot establish democracy in Bangladesh without ensuring communal harmony. Such democracy will not be effective, as democracy must guarantee every community the freedom to celebrate festivals and practise religious rituals,” he said.
Reflecting on the past, the NCP leader said religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh had faced various forms of persecution and oppression. He alleged that during such periods, the state or government often remained silent, failed to take proper action, and at times indirectly supported such incidents, creating a culture of impunity.
He said that since the mass uprising, the NCP has repeatedly called for strengthening the judiciary, ensuring communal harmony and protecting human dignity, adding that the party continues to pursue those goals.
Nahid Islam expressed hope that the country’s judiciary would be strengthened through the implementation of the “July Charter” and the people’s mandate through a referendum, ensuring justice for all.
He also stressed that all political parties, whether in government or opposition, have a responsibility to maintain peace, harmony and unity in the country.
Describing the current situation as relatively stable, the NCP convener said the stability must be strengthened through cultural transformation and stronger political institutions.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s heritage, Nahid Islam said the Hindu community has long coexisted with other communities and taken part in each other’s festivals.
He said the country’s thousand-year-old delta civilisation was shaped by the exchange of cultures, traditions and beliefs among different communities, and that this heritage must be preserved.
Concluding his remarks, Nahid Islam urged members of the Sanatan community to pray for Bangladesh and the NCP so that the party could fulfil the aspirations of the mass uprising and help build a discrimination-free country.
