Prime Minister Tareque Rahman has called on the nation to remain fully vigilant so that anti-social forces cannot raise their heads again and so that no one can destroy the country’s existing communal harmony.
He made the appeal Thursday morning as chief guest at an event at Osmani Memorial Hall in the capital, where he exchanged Janmashtami greetings with prominent members of the Sanatan (Hindu) community and presented honorariums to priests and temple caretakers.
The prime minister said that since time immemorial, people of all parties, faiths and creeds in Bangladesh have practiced their respective religions and cultures while maintaining mutual respect, harmony and goodwill. However, he said, people with a “Kangsa-like” character have at times attempted to sow division in the state and society.
“In Bangladesh too, a cruel ruler, like Kangsa, seized all the rights of the democracy-loving people and sat astride their shoulders,” he said. “After more than a decade and a half, the country’s democracy-loving people, across party, religion and creed, brought down those Kangsa-like fascists at the cost of countless lives. Bangladesh’s democratic journey has begun again. Now it is time to rebuild the country by fixing a fragile economy, a divided administration and deteriorating law and order.”
Noting that a state and society bring together people of different faiths and beliefs, the prime minister said: “That is the beauty of a diverse society. Those considered a ‘minority’ or a ‘majority’ at today’s event — if we travel to Europe or America, all of us become a so-called ‘minority.’ So in today’s global village, being a ‘minority’ or a ‘majority’ is not the central issue.”
“Rather than ‘minority’ or ‘majority,’ let us all think of ourselves as Bangladeshi,” the prime minister said. He said it was from the understanding that party, opinion, religion, caste and identity should never become a source of division or discrimination among people in the state and society that the proclaimer of independence’s landmark political philosophy of “Bangladeshi nationalism” was meant to keep all citizens united. “Our proud identity as citizens is that we are all Bangladeshi,” he said.
Noting that the current government wants to build a welfare state, Prime Minister Tareque Rahman said: “The state will provide citizens the support they need, according to its capacity, regardless of party, religion or caste. In turn, citizens will fulfill all their civic duties toward the state.”
“It is through this mutual responsibility, trust and dialogue between the state and government on one side and citizens on the other that the welfare state we all aspire to will be built,” he said. “The current government is committed to ensuring that no one is left behind in this state and society. That requires collective initiative and support.”
The prime minister said that building a prosperous, self-reliant Bangladesh while keeping its sovereignty intact requires the political and economic empowerment of citizens. He said the current government is pursuing and implementing a range of initiatives toward that goal, including the family card, farmer card, sports card, and honorarium payments for religious leaders of all faiths.
Recalling Sri Krishna, the founder of the Sanatan faith, the prime minister said that according to Hindu scripture, Sri Krishna was born on the eighth day of the dark lunar fortnight. He said Sri Krishna, an avatar in Hindu belief, was born in Mathura roughly five and a half thousand years ago, at a time when Mathura’s ruler was the cruel, wicked and tyrannical Kangsa. Following Sri Krishna’s arrival, Kangsa’s fall followed. Hindus believe that vanquishing evil and upholding virtue was one of Sri Krishna’s central missions.
Extending Janmashtami greetings to the Hindu community, the prime minister said: “This country belongs to you, to me, to all of us. As citizens, you, I, all of us have equal rights in this country. Living according to one’s own religious beliefs and culture is a fundamental constitutional right of every citizen. The current government believes, and BNP believes, that religion belongs to the individual, but the state belongs to everyone.”
Noting that “whoever’s religion it may be, everyone has the right to security,” the prime minister said: “Let us all further strengthen the bonds of religious harmony, tolerance, mutual respect and goodwill.” He added: “Right after the celebration of Janmashtami comes the approaching religious and social festival of Durga Puja. May you observe all these festivities in peace, comfort and safety. Once again, I extend my Janmashtami greetings, along with early wishes for Durga Puja.”
The greeting event was organized by the prime minister’s office to mark Janmashtami. The program opened with a recitation from the Gita. Earlier, Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury greeted the prime minister with flowers on behalf of the Hindu community. The prime minister, in turn, presented a floral wreath in greeting to the Hindu community, which was received on their behalf by Member of Parliament Suborna Shikder Thakur.
At the event, the prime minister distributed honorariums to nine temple priests and caretakers. At the same time, the funds were transferred via bank transfer to the accounts of priests and caretakers across the country. Sri Krishna, worshipped by the Hindu community, has his birthday Friday. Ahead of the occasion, the prime minister exchanged greetings with members of the Sanatan faith.
The event, conducted by Bijan Kanti Sarkar, the prime minister’s special assistant for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and ethnic-minority affairs, was addressed by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaykobad, Culture Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, the prime minister’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, the prime minister’s public administration adviser Ismail Jabihullah, State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaisar Lincoln, CPD Fellow Debapriya Bhattacharya, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Tapan Chandra Majumder, Puja Udjapan Parishad Secretary General and Kalbela newspaper editor Santosh Sharma, Swamibagh ISKCON principal Srimat Bhaktimoy Nitai Swami Maharaj, and BNP Assistant Religious Affairs Secretary Amalendu Das Apu.
Also present were Local Government Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan, Law Minister Mohammad Asaduzzaman, Aviation Minister Rashiduzzaman Millat, the prime minister’s political adviser Zahir Uddin Swapan, the prime minister’s information adviser Zahed Ur Rahman, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, BNP standing committee members Aman Ullah Aman and Farhad Halim Donar, BNP Vice President Barkat Ullah Bulu, Gono Forum President Subrata Chowdhury, and other leaders of the Hindu community.