Dhaka: The Tarique Rahman government in Bangladesh is reaching out to the Hindu minorities in the country to reassure them of safety ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations,
It is committed to ensuring equal rights for people of all religions and strengthening support for religious institutions, the Bangladesh government has said, amid concerns over the safety of the country’s Hindu minority during the festival.
Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain (Kaikobad) said on Monday that the government would continue to support the development and welfare of religious institutions and take steps to strengthen the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
Hindus in Bangladesh have faced persecution in previous years in the run up and during the Durga Puja. The issue of Hindus being targeted in Bangladesh has also been a matter of Parliamentary discussions in India in recent years.
Bangladesh prime minister Tarique Rahman had earlier referred to a character from Hindu scriptures, ‘Kansa’, the evil uncle of Lord Krishna, to take a dig at his predecessor Sheikh Hasina.
“Democracy-loving people of Bangladesh had also witnessed a cruel ruler, like ‘Kansa’, sitting on the shoulders of the people after depriving them of all their rights. After more than one and a half decades, democracy-loving people of the country, irrespective of political affiliation, religion or ethnicity, brought down those fascists resembling ‘Kansa’ at the cost of thousands of lives,” he said.
“Let us all consider ourselves Bangladeshis, not minorities or majorities,” Rahman had said in a bid to reassure Hindus and other minorities, adding that religion or ethnicity should not become a cause of division, as reported by The Indian Express.
Mofazzal Houssain further said on Monday that: “Regardless of their religion, the people of Bangladesh must enjoy equal rights, and the present government is committed to ensuring this.”
He was responding to a question from ruling party lawmaker Subarna Sikder, who represents reserved women’s seat-20 in the National Parliament.
Sikder said the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust carries out welfare activities across the country through its board of trustees, but its limited funds prevent it from effectively expanding its work. She asked whether the government planned to provide additional funds to the trust.
In response, the religious affairs minister said the trust has around Tk100 crore in fixed deposits, with the income generated from them being used for various temples across the country. The government also provides annual funding through the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the renovation of temples and the development of cremation grounds, he said. He further assured that “arrangements” would be made soon to strengthen Hindu religious activities in Bangladesh.
The government follows a policy of ensuring equal rights and giving equal importance to all religious communities while implementing religious welfare programmes, the minister added.
