Prime Minister Tarique Rahman stated that the government is working for the welfare of every citizen of the country, irrespective of religion, caste, class, profession, and community.
He made this statement on Wednesday (October 7) at a discussion meeting with representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat.
He said, ‘We want to build a Bangladesh where religion, caste, or identity will not be an impediment to people’s rights and opportunities. Our goal is to ensure equal rights and dignity for every citizen of the country.’
During the meeting, representatives of the Hindu community specially thanked the Prime Minister for increasing the government holiday for Sharadiya Durga Puja. They stated that this decision by the government has further enhanced the joy of the festival among the Hindu community in the country.
During the discussion, representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities presented their various problems, needs, and demands to the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister listened to their statements attentively and said that the government is sincerely working for the welfare of people from all communities.
He said, ‘We will try our utmost to do whatever is possible from the government’s side. Your logical demands and problems will be considered with importance.’
At this time, representatives of the Hindu community invited the Prime Minister to visit various puja mandaps.
The Prime Minister extended greetings to all members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja, and also to all members of the Buddhist community on the occasion of Kathin Chibar Dan, wishing peace, prosperity, and welfare for all citizens of the country.
At the same time, representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities also extended greetings to the Prime Minister for their religious festivals.
Later, the Prime Minister handed over checks allocating BDT 5 crore to the Hindu Welfare Trust for Sharadiya Durga Puja and BDT 3 crore for the religious festival of the Buddhist community.
The Hindu Welfare Trust had requested BDT 4 crore for Durga Puja, but the Prime Minister allocated BDT 5 crore under special consideration. Similarly, the Buddhist Welfare Trust had requested BDT 2 crore for the Kathin Chibar Dan ceremony, and the Prime Minister allocated BDT 3 crore under special consideration.
Additionally, the government declared a continuous 5-day holiday from October 20-24 for Durga Puja.
The allocated funds will be disbursed to the respective beneficiaries through the Hindu Welfare Trust/Buddhist Welfare Trust and the district administration. Beneficiaries will be able to receive the allocated funds directly through their bank accounts.
Representatives of the Hindu and Buddhist communities thanked the Prime Minister for the increased allocation and expressed their gratitude to the government.
Attendees at the meeting included senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, along with the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Dhaka District BNP General Secretary and Member of Parliament Nipun Ray Chowdhury, Member of Parliament Ms. Subarna Thakur Shikdar, Vice-President of Hindu Welfare Trust Tapan Chandra Majumdar, General Secretary of Hindu Welfare Trust Debendra Nath Oraon, Kalbela Editor Santosh Sharma, BNP Assistant Religious Affairs Secretary Amalendu Das Opu, and BNP National Executive Committee Member Sushil Chandra Barua, among other relevant individuals.