Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said the government will ensure equal rights, dignity and security for people of all religious communities, stressing that no community will be treated merely as a political vote bank.
“Everyone will be accorded equal dignity as a Bangladeshi,” he said, pledging to uphold constitutional rights to religious practices, cultural traditions and places of worship.
He made the remarks while speaking at a Durga Puja mandap at JM Sen Hall in Chattogram city on Tuesday night. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman was present at the event as the chief guest.
Salahuddin said people from all religious communities, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians, had sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence. Members of all faiths had also participated in the 2024 mass uprising against fascism, he added.
“We do not believe in political divisions based on religion,” he said.
Addressing members of the Hindu community, the minister said their religious identity is Sanatani or Vedic, while all citizens of the country shared the common identity of Bangladeshis.
He also said the Hindu community had challenged the practice of treating a particular religious group as a political vote bank.
Salahuddin said a record number of Puja mandaps had received the highest-ever allocations this year, while the festival is being celebrated with maximum security and in a festive atmosphere.
On holidays during Durga Puja, he said the prime minister had approved the maximum number of holidays.
He explained that the festival traditionally has one day of general holiday and another day off granted through an executive order. Government employees are also entitled to optional holidays.
The government would consider demands for holidays from Buddhists and members of other religious communities in the future, he said, adding that additional holidays through executive orders could be considered as necessary.
Referring to the occupation of land belonging to minority communities and properties dedicated to religious institutions, the home minister cited incidents in Faridpur and Brahmanbaria, as well as violence against Jagadish and Biswajit.
He alleged that ministers and members of the then ruling party had been among those involved in such incidents.
The minister said three bighas of land belonging to Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka had been recovered and returned during the BNP government in 2003.
Questioning why the remaining occupied land had not been recovered during the following 17 years, he alleged that the failure was due to the occupiers’ links to the previous government.
The current government would be able to recover all occupied land, he said.
Salahuddin said the Constitution guaranteed equal rights to all citizens and that ensuring constitutional, democratic and legal rights was the government’s responsibility.
“Discrimination based on religion or ethnic identity will not be tolerated,” he said.
He added that the administration is prepared to ensure the security of the religious practices, cultural traditions and places of worship of all communities.
The minister called on people to work together to take the country forward under their shared identity as Bangladeshis rather than being treated as a vote bank for any particular political party.
