Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said all citizens share one identity as Bangladeshis, stressing that religious differences must not be a basis for discrimination or unequal treatment.
“Whether majority or minority, every person in this country has one identity, we are Bangladeshis,” he said, adding that everyone has equal rights under the state, regardless of religion.
The prime minister made the remarks while addressing devotees and other attendees during a visit to the Durga Puja mandap at JM Sen Hall in Chattogram city on Tuesday night.
He said citizens should not be divided into majority and minority groups, as everyone is equal before the law. Differences in religion or ethnicity cannot determine the extent of a person’s rights, he added.
Recalling his 17 years abroad for political reasons, Tarique Rahman said that although he belongs to the majority religious community in Bangladesh, he was part of a minority while living in London.
The distinction between majority and minority, he said, changes depending on where people live, but their rights and dignity should remain unchanged.
He stressed that the state must treat everyone equally as a Bangladeshi citizen and ensure that religious identity does not become an obstacle to anyone’s rights, security or dignity.
Referring to the July-August mass uprising of 2024, the prime minister said students, children, young people, mothers and other members of the public took to the streets against authoritarian rule without asking about one another’s religious identities.
Likewise, when people injured or killed by the regime’s gunfire were taken to hospitals, their religious identities were not considered. Nor did medical professionals take religion into account while providing treatment, he said.
Tarique Rahman said the struggles for independence, democracy and the 2024 mass uprising reflected people’s aspirations for a peaceful, secular Bangladesh free from discrimination.
Calling for collective efforts to realise that vision, he said people of all faiths must work together to build a country where no one faces discrimination because of their religious identity.
“Bangladesh belongs to Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians alike,” he said, stressing that the participation and cooperation of all communities are essential to ensuring equal rights for every citizen.
Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram at 7:40pm on Tuesday aboard a military aircraft after visits to Rangpur and Rajshahi.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Shahadat Hossain and other senior leaders welcomed him at the airport.
He then travelled directly to the Durga Puja mandap at JM Sen Hall in the city.
