President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has called for the protection of constitutional rights and communal harmony in Bangladesh, declaring that people may follow different religions, but the state belongs to everyone.

“Religion belongs to each individual, but the state belongs to all,” the president said on Saturday after visiting Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.

Speaking at an exchange of views with members of the Hindu community, he said the rights guaranteed by the Constitution must be protected.

Bangladesh, he said, has a long tradition of communal harmony, with people of different faiths living together for generations. The country’s literature, culture and arts all reflect this shared heritage.

The president urged people to remain vigilant against those seeking to undermine this bond and create divisions for their own benefit.

He recalled that people from different communities had grown up together even before independence and fought shoulder to shoulder during the 1971 Liberation War. He said the vision of building a non-communal Bangladesh remained unchanged.

“We remain committed to that vision and are prepared to make any sacrifice to protect it,” he said, adding that the people of Bangladesh were not extremists and had never sought to take matters to extremes.

Calls for Patience During Democratic Transition

The president expressed concern over attempts to undermine communal harmony, noting that claims of deteriorating religious relations in Bangladesh were being circulated both at home and abroad.

He said people from different religious communities had demonstrated that they could practise their respective faiths freely and peacefully.

Bangladesh is currently going through a transition from what he described as a deeply undemocratic situation towards a democratic state, he said, urging everyone to exercise patience as the process moves forward.

Calling for consensus to resolve national challenges, Mirza Fakhrul said the recent election had been accepted by all concerned and that efforts to fulfil political commitments on constitutional reforms had begun with the signing of the July Charter.

Pledges Support for Peaceful Durga Puja Celebrations

The president reiterated his hope that Durga Puja would be celebrated peacefully and securely across the country.

He also assured members of the Hindu community of appropriate cooperation in addressing their demands and concerns.

Extending his greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion, he wished everyone a happy Sharadiya Durga Puja.

Those present at the meeting included Bijon Kanti Sarkar, special assistant to the prime minister; Basudev Dhar, president of the Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council; its general secretary, Santosh Sharma; and Gopal Chandra Debnath, president of Dhakeshwari National Temple, among others.