DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the Hindu community and believers of other faiths not to consider themselves as minorities.
Virtually joining an event to mark the Janmashtami celebration at the historic Dhakeshwari Temple on Thursday, Prime Minister Hasina said that the government of Bangladesh wants people of all faiths to live with equal rights. ‘You are people of this country, you have equal rights here, you have the same rights as I have,’ said Prime Minister Hasina.
Greeting people on the occasion of Janmashtami, Sheikh Hasina urged people to think that they are citizens of this country with equal rights. She said that if all people can move with this confidence then the evil forces from no religion will ever be able to harm the religious harmony of the country. She called upon the people to retain the unity.
She expressed regret that whenever any incident occurs in the country, it is propagated at home and abroad that Hindu people don’t have any rights in Bangladesh. She said that action taken by the government after the incident is not given proper attention. She pointed out that many Muslims were killed in police action to protect the temples of Hindus which is not highlighted.
Prime Minister Hasina said that the number of Puja Mandaps in Dhaka is higher than the number in West Bengal or Kolkata, and in all over Bangladesh the Durga Puja is celebrated massively. She said that the government not only takes initiatives to repair or renovate mosques, but also renovates or repairs mandirs, maths and churches as well. There are huge attempts to destroy this congenial religious atmosphere of the country. A section of people in all religions are there who often try to create problems, said Sheikh Hasina.