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 the capital as the chief guest.
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Fakhrul, also local government, rural development and co-operatives minister, said people of all religions – Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians – fought together in the 1971 War of Liberation to achieve the country's independence, but alleged that "a particular evil force" repeatedly tried to undermine that spirit of unity.
"Even today, there remains traces of that. We all have to unite, build resistance and work together in a united manner," he said.
Expressing gratitude to the Hindu community, the BNP leader said the government will always remember the support they extended during the last national election.
Referring to religion-based politics, he said religion has often been used to create divisions in Bangladesh's politics, but BNP does not believe in such politics.
Mentioning various welfare programmes, Fakhrul said the government has introduced initiatives such as the Family Card and Farmers’ Card, and has also taken steps to support religious institutions.
He said the government has introduced allowances for imams and muezzins of mosques, priests of temples, caretakers of Buddhist temples and the church clergy.
"This is something no one had ever imagined. The government wants everyone to practise their religion freely and wants Bangladesh to work equally for all rather than favouring any particular religion," the BNP secretary general said.
He also said before attending the Rath Yatra programme, he participated in another meeting, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with representatives from ethnic minority communities living in the plains.
Fakhrul said the Prime Minister ensured representation of all religious communities among the women members of parliament and noted that Anna Minj, MP, a representative from the Santal community, was among those present at the meeting.
According to him, Tarique Rahman reiterated that the government will continue working for the socio-economic development of every section of society.
The BNP leader concluded his speech saying, "Let us all move Bangladesh forward together."