BNP committed to religious harmony: Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said on Thursday that the government remains committed to promoting religious harmony and ensuring equal rights for citizens of all faiths, rejecting any attempt to create religious division in the country.

“We do not want to create any religious division. We want to work with everyone and move forward together,” Fakhrul said while attending the Rath Yatra as chief guest and addressing a discussion at the ISKCON Swamibagh Ashram in the capital.

Fakhrul, who also serves as minister for local government, rural development and co-operatives, said people of all faiths — Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians — had fought side by side during the 1971 Liberation War to win the country’s independence.

He alleged that “a particular evil force” had repeatedly tried to undermine that spirit of unity, adding that traces of such efforts persist even today.

“Even today, traces of that remain. We must all unite, build resistance and move forward together,” he said.

The BNP leader expressed gratitude to the Hindu community, saying the government would always remember the support it received from them during the last national election.

Turning to religion-based politics, he said religion had often been used as a tool to divide people in Bangladesh, but asserted that the BNP does not subscribe to such politics.

Fakhrul highlighted several government welfare initiatives, including the Family Card and Farmers’ Card programmes, as well as measures to support religious institutions.

He said the government had introduced allowances for imams and muezzins of mosques, priests of temples, caretakers of Buddhist monasteries, and clergy serving churches.

“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,” he said.

Fakhrul also disclosed that, prior to the Rath Yatra programme, he had attended a separate meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman with representatives of ethnic minority communities living in the plains. He said the prime minister had ensured representation of all religious communities among women members of parliament, noting that Anna Minj, an MP from the Santal community, was present at the meeting.

According to Fakhrul, Tarique reiterated the government’s commitment to the socio-economic development of every section of society.

Concluding his remarks, Fakhrul said: “Let us all move Bangladesh forward together.”