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**Dhaka, October 19:** Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called on people of all religions to work shoulder to shoulder to build Bangladesh, stressing that national identity and citizenship should take precedence over religious differences.
“ This country belongs to you and me. Let us all work together, shoulder to shoulder, to build the country,” he said while addressing members of the Hindu community during visits to Durga Puja mandaps in Dhaka.
The prime minister emphasised that although people may follow different religions, the state belongs to everyone and all citizens have equal rights and responsibilities.
“Your rights over this country are the same as mine, and your responsibilities towards the country are also the same as mine,” he said.
Referring to the 1971 Liberation War, Tarique Rahman said people of different faiths had fought together for independence without considering one another’s religious identities. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians had united for the common cause of liberating the country.
He also recalled the movements to restore democracy and the 2024 mass uprising, saying people from different religious, professional and social backgrounds had joined hands to establish democratic rights and freedom of expression.
Religious identity had never been a barrier to those struggles, he added.
The prime minister said all citizens should recognise one another as fellow human beings and Bangladeshis, regardless of religious differences.
He called for collective efforts to bring positive changes to the country, noting that national development would benefit everyone.
Highlighting Bangladesh’s long tradition of religious coexistence, Tarique Rahman expressed hope that people of all faiths would continue to live together peacefully for generations to come.
He also extended greetings to members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.
Prime Minister’s wife Dr Zubaida Rahman accompanied him during the visits to the Puja mandaps in Dhaka’s Mohakhali and Gulshan-Banani areas.
*Source: BSS, The Daily Star*
