Kader Gani Chowdhury, Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), emphasized the importance of communal harmony for building a strong nation, asserting that Hindus and Muslims have equal rights in the country.
“Every citizen is the rightful owner of this nation, and we demand our ownership back, which was taken by the previous government,” he said.
Speaking at the sixth founding anniversary of the 'Saha Foundation' at Dream Holiday Park in Madhavadi, Narsingdi, on Friday, Chowdhury highlighted the significant contributions of the Saha community to the country, noting their global recognition for their noble role.
Paying tribute to the Saha community, Kader Gani Chowdhury said that Priya Saha has exposed those who have repeatedly persecuted minorities in this country by talking about non-communalism while in power. I pay tribute to Priya Saha at this function today.
He told reporters that communal harmony is essential in building a country and a nation. People from different communities can live in a country. But if there is no communal harmony among them, they can never become a strong nation. The lack of communal harmony creates internal conflicts within that nation. This harms the society and the country.
“If communal harmony is destroyed, the social system becomes unstable. Chaos is created all around. As a result, wars and conflicts inevitably arise. There is a lack of trust between people, mistrust is created, and the path of harmony and cooperation is closed. The security of the country is disrupted. Sometimes even the sovereignty of the country is under threat. Therefore, we have to be aware of protecting communal harmony.”
Referring to Bangladesh as a country of communal harmony, Chowdhury said, “Hindus, Buddhists and Christians live side by side with the majority Muslims in this country. It is our pride that we believe that each religion has its own state. We Bangladeshis are very consciously bound to the bond of brotherhood with people of different religions and communities. Harmony and cooperation are our ideals.
“This nation has left its mark on communal harmony in 52, 69, 70, 71, 90, 2024. Their communal harmony and unity have been immortalized. In the Liberation War, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Khasias, and Santals, all fought together. The Bengali nation unites in every one of our festivals. On Pohela Baishakh, Eid, Puja, Christmas, Buddhist Purnima, Vaisavi, and national days, everyone forgets their communal identity and participates equally as one nation. This is the tradition of Amasa. This tradition must be protected,” he added.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
