BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Thursday said the government is committed to promoting religious harmony and ensuring equal rights for people of all faiths, rejecting any attempt to create religious divisions.
“We do not want to create any religious division. We want to work with everyone and move forward together,” he said while inaugurating the Rath Yatra and addressing a discussion at the ISKCON Swamibagh Ashram in Dhaka as the chief guest.
Fakhrul recalled that people of all religions – Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians – fought together in the 1971 Liberation War to achieve Bangladesh’s independence, but alleged that “a particular evil force” has repeatedly tried to undermine that spirit of unity.
“Even today, traces remain. We all have to unite, build resistance and work together in a united manner,” he said.
Expressing gratitude to the Hindu community, he added that the government would remember the support they provided during the last national election.
Referring to religion-based politics, Fakhrul said religion has often been used to create divisions in Bangladesh’s politics, but the BNP does not follow such a path.
The minister claimed that the government, formed with public support, was prioritising national development and public welfare.
He said Bangladesh is not a state of any particular religion but a country belonging to people of all faiths.
“The government wants to move forward by ensuring participation and representation of people from every community,” he said.
Recalling the spirit of the Liberation War, Mirza Fakhrul said people from all religious communities, including Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians, fought together for the country’s independence in 1971.
He said an evil force has repeatedly attempted to damage the bond of communal harmony and called upon people to remain united against such efforts.
