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FENI: Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has called for unity among people of all faiths, saying religious divisions have no place in Bangladesh and that nationality is the country’s shared identity.
“We do not want religious divisions among Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists or Christians. We are all Bangladeshis. This is our true identity,” he said on Tuesday.
Mintoo made the remarks while addressing a programme at the main Durga Puja mandap in Das Para of Daganbhuiyan municipality in Feni.
He said Durga Puja was being celebrated in a peaceful and festive atmosphere, reflecting the spirit of harmony and coexistence among people of different religious communities.
“Hindus and Muslims come together as one during this festival,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had instructed all cabinet members to visit Puja mandaps in their respective areas and stand beside members of the Hindu community to ensure uninterrupted celebrations.
The minister said the administration, along with leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its affiliated organisations, was working to maintain peace and ensure that Hindu devotees could celebrate the festival without hindrance.
From Tuesday evening until midnight, Mintoo visited several Puja mandaps in Daganbhuiyan municipal town and the upazila’s eight unions, exchanging greetings with members of the Hindu community.
The programme at Das Para was moderated by Nimai Das, while Priya Lal Das presided over the event.
Government officials, Hindu community leaders and local BNP leaders, among others, also addressed the programme.