Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has called on people of all religious communities to work together to build Bangladesh, stressing that national identity and equal citizenship must transcend religious differences.

“This country belongs to you, and this country belongs to me. Let us all work shoulder to shoulder to build our country together,” he said.

The prime minister made the remarks on Monday while visiting a Durga Puja celebration at Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital, where he addressed members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.

According to his Assistant Press Secretary, K. M. Nazmul Haque, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Social Welfare Minister Dr A. Z. M. Zahid Hossain also spoke at the event.

‘The State Belongs to Everyone’

Emphasising equal rights regardless of religious identity, Tarique said that although people may follow different religions, the state belongs to everyone and has a responsibility to protect all citizens equally.

“Religion may be different, but the state belongs to all of us. In this country, you have rights just as I do, and you have duties toward the country just as I do,” he said.

He added that ensuring the safety of every citizen was a fundamental responsibility of the state, while citizens themselves had a shared responsibility to look after one another and work together for the country’s progress.

“We are all children of this country. We are its people, and we are Bangladeshis. We are all human beings. That is our primary identity,” the prime minister said.

Recalling the Liberation War and Democratic Movements

Tarique referred to Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, saying people had fought together for independence without distinguishing between Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.

He said the same spirit of unity had been evident during subsequent movements to restore democracy and voting rights.

According to the prime minister, people who took to the streets to demand political rights and freedom of expression did not question one another’s religious identities.

“Everyone stood together to establish the people’s right to speak and their right to vote,” he said.

Remembering the July Uprising

Reflecting on the mass uprising of August 5, 2024, Tarique said people from different religious communities had participated in the movement without religious divisions.

“Did any of us ask one another which religion we belonged to?” he said, recalling the crowds that took to the streets.

He also referred to the sacrifices made during the July uprising, saying people from Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian communities had lost their lives in the struggle for people’s rights.

The prime minister said he had earlier attended the inauguration of the July Martyrs’ Memorial at Osmani Udyan on Monday, where the sacrifices of people from different religious backgrounds were commemorated.

Calls for Unity and National Progress

Tarique urged citizens to remain united in efforts to improve the country, arguing that progress would benefit everyone regardless of religion.

“If the country changes and the lives of its people improve, you will benefit, and I will benefit too,” he said.

He added that people should recognise one another first and foremost as human beings and citizens of Bangladesh.

Concluding his remarks, the prime minister extended greetings to members of the Hindu community across the country on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja, describing the celebration as an occasion of joy and togetherness.