Rights, security for all, regardless of faith: PM

The government is committed to ensuring the rights and security of every citizen, regardless of religious identity, said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday.

Everyone should be treated equally as a citizen of Bangladesh, he said while exchanging views with Hindu community leaders from the Dhaka-17 constituency at his office at the Bangladesh Secretariat, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.

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Representatives of eight temples met him to invite him to attend the Durga Puja celebrations.

Thanking the leaders for acknowledging the government’s initiatives for the Hindu community, including extended Puja holidays and increased grants, Tarique said the steps taken so far reflected the government’s goodwill and that efforts were under way to address other issues.

The prime minister said people of all faiths had fought together in the Liberation War and taken part in democratic movements, including the mass uprising of 1990 and the movement of 2024.

“When we keep us above religious identity during all critical moments in the national history, why should we consider it in other matters? We liberated the country together and took part together in the movement to establish democracy,” he said.

The Hindu community leaders said they had been living peacefully since the last national parliamentary election and had not faced any problems.  They expressed satisfaction with the government’s initiatives and pledged their continued support and cooperation.