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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman addresses an exchange-of-views meeting at JM Sen Hall in Chattogram
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated on Tuesday night (October 20) that political circumstances had forced him to endure 17 years in exile abroad, emphasizing that the state guarantees identical rights and protections to every citizen regardless of faith or communal identity.
Addressing members of the Hindu community during an exchange-of-views meeting on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja at the historic JM Sen Hall in Chattogram, the premier reflected on citizenship and equality. He noted that while he is a Muslim and forms part of the religious majority in Bangladesh, every individual shares the same constitutional rights over the country, and the state must offer equal entitlement to all.
Evoking the 1971 Liberation War, the prime minister observed that millions risked their lives for national sovereignty without regard to whether their comrades were Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or Christian. He noted that subsequent mass mobilizations for democracy, freedom of expression, and voting rights, as well as the July 2024 uprising against autocracy, witnessed cross-communal unity where martyrs fell and hospitals treated the wounded without religious discrimination.
Stressing that personal faith is an individual matter while Bangladeshi citizenship remains the universal shared identity, Tarique Rahman called for collective national efforts to build a peaceful and inclusive republic honoring the sacrifices of democratic martyrs. He concluded by extending Durga Puja greetings to the Hindu community and seeking cross-faith cooperation to realize national development goals.
The meeting was attended by Home Affairs Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Cultural Affairs Minister Nitai Roy Chowdhury, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Saching Prue Jerry, BNP Acting Secretary General Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, local members of parliament, and senior government officials. Prior to his Chattogram visit, the prime minister attended Durga Puja celebrations in Rangpur and Rajshahi earlier on Tuesday.
