World
Bangladesh Pledges Equal Rights and Support for Hindus Ahead of Durga Puja
With Durga Puja celebrations approaching, Bangladesh's government has moved to reassure the country's Hindu minority of its safety and support, following past incidents of violence targeting the community during the festival period. Religious Affairs Minister Kazi Shah Mofazzal Houssain, known as Kaikobad, stated on Monday that the government remains committed to the development and welfare of religious institutions and would take measures to strengthen the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust. The Dhaka Tribune reported his remarks. The assurance comes as Bangladesh has previously seen attacks on Hindus around Durga Puja celebrations, an issue that has also drawn attention in India's Parliament in recent years. Speaking separately, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman invoked the Hindu mythological figure Kansa, the tyrannical uncle of Lord Krishna, to criticize his predecessor Sheikh Hasina's rule. He cautioned against allowing anti-social elements to regain power, stating that Bangladesh's democracy-loving citizens had endured a ruler as cruel as Kansa who stripped them of their rights. He said that after more than a decade and a half, people from all political affiliations, religions, and ethnicities united to remove those he described as fascists, at a cost of thousands of lives. Rahman urged citizens to identify simply as Bangladeshis rather than by minority or majority status, stressing that religion or ethnicity should not divide the nation. Minister Kaikobad reiterated that all citizens of Bangladesh, regardless of religion, must have equal rights, and affirmed the current government's commitment to this principle. His comments came in response to a question from ruling party lawmaker Subarna Sikder, who holds a reserved women's seat in the National Parliament. Sikder noted that the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust conducts welfare work nationwide through its board of trustees but is constrained by limited funding, and she asked whether the government intended to allocate additional resources to the trust. Kaikobad responded that the trust currently holds approximately Tk100 crore in fixed deposits, with the interest earned being distributed to temples across the country. He added that the Ministry of Religious Affairs also provides annual funding for temple renovations and the upkeep of cremation grounds. The minister further promised that new arrangements would soon be introduced to bolster Hindu religious activities in Bangladesh, and he emphasized that the government's policy is to treat all religious communities equally when implementing welfare programs.