Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tells Hindu community : Live with confidence in Bangladesh

She bemoans dropping of secularism from constitution

Urging the Hindi community members to live here with confidence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said all religions speak about the ‘triumph of humanity’ and her government has established that principle in Bangladesh by ensuring the equal rights of the people of all faiths, reports UNB.
She said this while visiting Dhakeswari Mandir and Ram Krishna Mission on the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina said the government does not want chaos, killing, militancy and terrorism.
“We want the people of all religions to live here in peace. Members of the Hindu community are the children of this soil. You’re living in this soil, you’re the children of this soil, so you’ll live here with confidence.”
After returning to power in 2008, she said, the present government has ensured the equal rights of the people of all religions. “The people of all religions will perform their rituals freely with enthusiasm. This is humanity …all religions of the world sing the triumph of humanity.”
She also mentioned that Bangladesh believes in the peaceful coexistence of all people. “And all religions talk about compassion and tolerance.”
During the Liberation War, Hasina said, people from all religions had made their supreme sacrifice. “We want people to live in peace; we want the triumph of humanity. That’s our desire,” she said.
After the assassination of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Prime Minister said, secularism was dropped from the country’s Constitution.
“After the country’s independence, Bangabandhu had included this secularism as one of the four principles of the Constitution.  Secularism was not the absence of religion, it was for ensuring the rights of all religions,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina, also the chief of the ruling Awami League, said that killing [Aug 15 massacre] was not only to kill a family, but also to kill the independence and its spirit.
The country’s law enforcement agencies have engaged their all-out efforts to ensure peaceful holding of Puja, the Prime Minister said urging the local people to extend their cooperation so that this festival could be held peacefully amid enthusiasm.
She thanked members of the law enforcement agencies and local people for their cooperation in peaceful celebration of the festival.
The Prime Minister said the people of all faiths fought for independence of the country under the leadership of Bangabandhu. “The people irrespective of caste, creed and religions joined the Liberation War by responding to the call of Bangabandhu and they shed their blood to achieve independence,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu dreamt of establishing a poverty and hunger-free Sonar Bangla. “We are striving to achieve the goal and the country advanced much in this regard,” she said.
State Minister for Youth and Sports Biren Shikdar, Sebayet of Dhakeswari National Temple Subir Kumar Chakravarti, President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Kajal Devnath and General Secretary Jayanta Kumar Dey, General Secretary of Mohanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee Narayan Saha Moni spoke on the occasion at Dhakeswari National Temple with President of Mohanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee JL Bhowmik in the chair.
Meanwhile, Ram Krishna Mission principal Dhrubesenananda also spoke at the programme held at Ram Krishna Mission. UNB