Leaders of the Protestant Church met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings and request the declaration of a public holiday for Easter Sunday.
The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s office in the Bangladesh Secretariat around 11:45am, according to Jahidul Islam Rony, Deputy Press Secretary to the Prime Minister.
During the courtesy visit, representatives of the Christian community conveyed their best wishes and discussed key demands.
Pastor David Anwar Hossain, chairman of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Bangladesh, said the leaders requested that Easter Sunday be officially recognised as a public holiday.
They also called for the inclusion of a Christian representative in the reserved women’s seat of the BNP and urged the reconstitution of the Christian Religious Welfare Trust.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman reportedly assured the delegation that he would consider and work towards fulfilling their requests.
In the meeting Tarique Rahman has extended his greetings to the Christian community on the occasion of Easter Sunday and wished them success and prosperity.
During the exchange, the Prime Minister emphasised his government’s inclusive stance, saying all citizens are treated equally regardless of faith.
“We see all religions with the same eye and love everyone equally. We believe religion belongs to the individual, but the country belongs to all,” he said.
He urged all communities to work together to build a happy, prosperous, and united Bangladesh.
Reflecting on the 12 February general election, the Tarique said the recent vote disproved the notion that people of other faiths do not support the BNP. “This election proved otherwise,” he added.
Commenting on the state of the country during previous administrations, the Prime Minister said that when the BNP assumed power, the nation faced fragile conditions across economic and infrastructure sectors, resembling the responsibilities of a war-torn country.
He also highlighted steps taken to address the energy crisis amid global tensions such as the Israel-Iran conflict.
Leaders of the Christian community greeted the Prime Minister and presented their views. Reverend Ashim K Baroi, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Bible Society, and retired Wing Commander Christopher Adhikary (Retd.) of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Bangladesh spoke on behalf of the community.
They praised BNP-led initiatives, including family cards, debt relief for farmers with interest support, special allowances for imams, muazzins, priests, and Buddhist and Christian clergy, as programmes benefiting the public under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s leadership.
Paying tribute to the former prime minister Khaleda Zia, the leaders said prayers were held in 7,000 churches for her and now continue daily for the current government.
The event concluded with the Christian community presenting the Prime Minister with a crest to mark Easter Sunday.
Easter is one of Christianity’s most significant festivals, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Observed by millions around the world, the festival symbolises hope, renewal, and triumph over despair. Prayers, community gatherings, and acts of charity are central to the celebrations.
