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CA seeks faith leaders' help to get precise minority info

'We all are Bangladeshis, not enemies to one another'


December 06, 2024 00:00:00


Chief Adviser Prof Dr Mohammad Yunus addresses a view-exchange meeting with religious leaders at the Foreign Service Academy on Thursday in an effort to forge greater national unity at this crucial juncture of the nation. — PID

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Thursday sought cooperation of the religious leaders in collecting accurate information if any attack on minorities takes place in the country, report agencies.

"I have asked you to join (today's dialogue) to know how information could be gleaned in a safer way so that the information providers do not fall in trouble," he said while delivering his opening remarks for the faith leaders of Bangladesh at the Foreign Service Academy here.

On his arrival at Dhaka airport from abroad on August 8 after the July revolution, Prof Yunus said, he had mentioned - "we all are a family despite having differences of opinions and we are the members of the same family. We are not enemies to one another. We all are Bangladeshis".

After formation of the interim government, he said, the issue of repression on minorities arose, which saddened him.

Referring to his visit to Dhakeswari Temple in Dhaka on the occasion of Durga Puja, the chief adviser said Durga Puja was celebrated with festivity in the country while people from all strata joined it, turning the event into a national festival.

Now, the issue of attacks on minorities has come up again and the foreign media are publishing news on it, he said, adding that there is a gap of information between the reality and the news published by foreign media.

"We want to know the accurate information and want to establish the process of getting the information," he added.

Noting that as citizens, all the people of the country have equal rights, Prof Yunus said the responsibility of the state is to ensure the people's rights guaranteed by the constitution.

He said if any incident of attack on minorities takes place in the country, information must be collected immediately on such incidents and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

The chief adviser stressed taking measures to create an environment to prevent such incidents and ensure immediate remedy for victims.

"I think most of the people of Bangladesh agree on what I have said," he added.

Leaders of the Muslim, the Hindu, the Christian and the Buddhist communities joined the dialogue.

Prof Yunus on Wednesday declared that no force could undermine the solidarity forged since August 5 or deprive the nation of its hard-earned freedom.

"The nation stands on a solid foundation, and it will remain steadfast. No one can break our unity or strip us of our freedom," Prof Yunus said in his concluding remarks during his meeting with political leaders.

He acknowledged the presence of differing opinions among the people but emphasised that there was no division regarding the collective unity of the nation.

CA's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said Prof Yunus held a meeting with student leaders on Tuesday evening.

"Prof Yunus called the students to help rebuild the nation," Alam said after the meeting.

The Press Secretary hoped that the citizen groups, Bangladeshi diaspora, political parties, and civil society would raise their voices against the massive misinformation campaign against Bangladesh.


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