Citizens exhorted to rise above religious and political differences to build a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive nation
NEW DELHI — Against the backdrop of concerns over alleged attacks on Hindus during Bangladesh’s student-led uprising, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called for equal rights for people of all religions, urging citizens to rise above religious and political differences to build a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive nation.
Visiting the Puja mandap at the Radha Gobinda Dharmasabha Temple in Rangpur during the Sharadiya Durga Puja celebrations, Rahman stressed that Bangladesh belonged to people of all faiths and backgrounds. He recalled the collective struggle for independence in 1971 and subsequent pro-democracy movements, saying people of different religions had stood together to defend the country’s freedom and political rights.
“Just as people of all religions came together to liberate this country, and worked together to establish the political rights of its people, we must also work together, irrespective of religious beliefs and affiliations, if we want to build the Bangladesh we aspire to create,” he said.
According to a press note issued by the Bangladesh High Commission here, the Prime Minister visited the temple during his first trip to Rangpur since assuming office following the 13th parliamentary election. He was welcomed with religious rituals and cultural performances by children.
Addressing devotees at a Sharadiya greetings programme, Rahman said people belonging to different religions had lived together in Bangladesh for thousands of years and expressed the hope that this tradition would continue for another millennium.
“The purpose of highlighting these points is to emphasise that this country has been advancing for thousands of years with people of all religions living together,” he said. “Just as people of every religion have lived together peacefully in this country for thousands of years, we want them to continue living together in peace for the next thousand years as well.”
Extending greetings to the Hindu community on Maha Navami, Rahman urged people of all faiths to work collectively for education, healthcare, employment and peace.
“On this day of Navami, my expectation is that all the people of this country, irrespective of religion, will come together to work towards building the Bangladesh we aspire to create,” he said.
The Prime Minister also emphasised that his government intended to serve all citizens, regardless of their political preferences or electoral choices.
“This government belongs to the people. The people of this country have elected the present government,” he said, adding that the administration wanted to work for those who had voted for the ruling party as well as those who had not.
He said the government aimed to ensure equitable allocation of resources and balanced development across the country, taking into account Bangladesh’s economic circumstances.
Rahman referred to an allocation of Tk 1,800 crore for the development of Rangpur city, which he said had been approved at an Executive Committee of the National Economic Council meeting two weeks earlier. He added that infrastructure, including bridges, culverts, schools and colleges, would be developed in phases across the district’s upazilas, unions and villages.
Calling for collective efforts to achieve these goals, he said citizens needed to put aside their differences and work together.
The Prime Minister also cautioned against attempts to create confusion over Bangladesh’s history and the 2024 student-led mass uprising that led to the ouster of the previous government.
Recalling what he described as earlier attempts to make the 1971 Liberation War controversial, Rahman said such efforts had not found public acceptance.
“Similarly, we have seen certain groups attempting to make the 2024 student-led mass uprising controversial,” he said. Speaking on behalf of pro-democracy forces, he urged people not to discredit or politicise the uprising.
He suggested that political disagreements should be addressed through parliamentary debate rather than through actions that could destabilise public life.
“If you have anything to say or any issues to raise, let us do so in Parliament, which has been constituted through the people’s decision and to which they have sent their representatives,” he said. “Let us raise our concerns and engage in debate there. We will make decisions in the interest of the people and the state, based on what is best for the country.”
Rahman warned against a return to circumstances that could disrupt education, healthcare, businesses, trade and employment. He said people wanted stability, peace and security, and that his government was working to provide them.
“This country belongs to all of us. We must all come forward to build it, and we must move beyond all confusion and misunderstandings,” he said.
Emphasising the need for a change in the country’s political culture, the Prime Minister said his government was seeking to move beyond practices witnessed in the past and called on citizens to support that effort.
After the temple programme, Rahman travelled by road towards Saidpur, addressing roadside gatherings at Taraganj and Paglapir.
Referring to the February 12 parliamentary election, he said the people had entrusted the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with the responsibility of governing the country and that the government was seeking to support working people across different sections of society.
He cited the waiver of agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, the introduction of the Family Card and the launch of the Farmer Card initiative. He also referred to monthly allowances for imams, muezzins and religious leaders of other faiths.
Addressing the Durga Puja celebrations, Rahman again called for cooperation among Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people of other religious communities.
“This country belongs to all of us, and together we will build it into a beautiful and prosperous nation,” he said.
His remarks placed religious harmony and equal citizenship at the centre of his message during the Hindu community’s major annual festival. While concerns over the safety of religious minorities remain an important issue in discussions about Bangladesh’s political transition, the Prime Minister’s public appeal stressed that the country needs to build into “a beautiful and prosperous nation.”
