State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit has said those who seek to divide Bangladesh in the name of cheap politics by exploiting religion will be boycotted. He made the remarks Friday afternoon at a discussion meeting held at Town Hall Maidan in Jashore town to mark Janmashtami.
Anindya Islam Amit said: “Some people want to use religion to create unrest. They want to use religion to draw lines of division in society, to use it as a pawn of politics. Religion cannot be brought into the political arena as a means of gaining unethical advantage. Whoever seeks to divide Bangladesh in the name of cheap politics by exploiting religion, or attempts to create unrest — no matter which political party they belong to, or which faith they follow — we will mount collective social resistance against them. The state and government will act, of course, but we will also boycott them socially.”
Noting that the current government is ensuring no one in society is disadvantaged because of differences in religious belief, the state minister said: “Religion is simply a matter of faith, of conscience. This democratic government’s prime minister, Tareque Rahman, is ensuring that no one in society falls behind because of differing religious beliefs, that no one can gain undue advantage because of religious differences, and that no one is deprived because of them. If we can build this trust, or restore this situation, then the hope we have held onto since the mass uprising of ’24 will surely not turn into disappointment.”
Presided over by district Puja Udjapan Parishad president Dipankar Das Ratan, special guests at the event included Zila Parishad Administrator Delwar Hossain Khokon, Superintendent of Police Syed Rafiqul Islam, Jashore Municipality Administrator Rafiqul Hasan, district BNP president Saberul Haque Sabu, and Swami Gyanaprakashananda, principal of the Ramakrishna Ashram Mission in Jashore, among others.
After the speeches, the guests lit an auspicious lamp wishing for the country’s peace and prosperity. A colorful procession then set out from Town Hall Maidan, passing through Daratana and Garikhana before returning to and ending at Town Hall Maidan. Thousands of people took part.
Meanwhile, the district’s Hindu community has been marking Lord Krishna’s birth anniversary with daylong festivities. Day-long religious programs are being held at various temples, monasteries and puja pavilions across the district, including processions, Gita recitations, kirtan, aarti, distribution of prasad and discussion meetings.
Leaders of various social and religious organizations across the district have also extended greetings on the occasion of Janmashtami. They expressed hope that, alongside its religious solemnity, the festival will further strengthen communal harmony and mutual goodwill in the country.