Photo: Collected
The National Citizen Party (NCP) will protest if people of any community in the country face discrimination because of their religious identity, said its convener and opposition chief whip Nahid Islam. He also said the party would speak out both in parliament and on the streets if such incidents came up.
He made the remarks on Thursday while exchanging greetings with leaders of several organisations of the Hindu and minority communities at the NCP’s temporary central office at Bangla Motor in the capital. Nahid also expressed the hope that the coming Sharadiya Durga Puja would be celebrated in a peaceful atmosphere of harmony.
He said, ‘We want a Bangladesh where everyone can practise their own religion without hindrance. Whenever Puja comes, the question of security comes up. We want a day when we will not have to think about security separately. Our expectation is that people of all religions in Bangladesh will observe their religious festivals in an atmosphere free of fear.’
He noted that as a political party the NCP has always played a supportive role in religious festivals. The NCP leader said that even after the mass uprising the party has taken part in pujas and festivals at various times and helped with security and voluntary work as needed.
Nahid Islam said party leaders and activists across the country have been instructed to extend all-out cooperation to Hindus in celebrating Durga Puja, and that they would stand beside the celebrations according to their own capacity. In the view of the young MP, political parties should maintain good relations with all communities and keep in touch with their leaders.
Warning against attempts to damage communal harmony, the opposition chief whip said negative propaganda is spread about communal harmony in Bangladesh by presenting minor incidents in the country as major ones at various times, and that everyone must act responsibly in this regard.
The NCP convener said responsibility and mutual goodwill are essential in dealing with incidents inside the country. He also cautioned that no situation must be allowed to develop that damages communal harmony.
According to Nahid Islam, communal harmony is deeply connected with Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty and national integrity, and national unity can be strengthened only through establishing harmony. He also expressed the hope that everyone would remain united against hegemony, fascism and autocracy.
Leaders of Hindu and minority community organisations came to the party office that evening to invite NCP leaders to the Puja and to exchange greetings. Among those present were NCP member secretary Akhtar Hossain, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council president Subrata Chowdhury and Bangladesh Puja Parishad general secretary Santosh Sharma.
