‘Our identity is not defined by religion, we are Bangladeshis’

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that all citizens of Bangladesh share a common national identity, regardless of their religious beliefs, stressing that the country belongs to everyone.

“We were born and raised in this country, and we are its citizens. Whether we are Muslims or Hindus is a personal matter. But each and every one of us is a Bangladeshi,” he said.

He made the remarks while visiting the JM Sen Hall Puja mandap in Chattogram city on Tuesday night on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja. 

Tarique Rahman said, “This country is yours, mine and belongs to all of us. Our identity is not defined by religion; our shared identity is that we are Bangladeshis.”

Recalling his years in exile, the prime minister said, “I was forced to live abroad for 17 years for political reasons. Although I belonged to the Muslim majority in Bangladesh, I was part of a minority abroad. So, the issue is not whether someone belongs to the majority or the minority. The issue is that you are a Bangladeshi.”

He recalled the sacrifices made by people of all religions during the Liberation War and said, “In 1971, the people of Bangladesh risked their lives to fight for the country… But at that time, we did not distinguish between Muslims and Hindus.”

He said, “We did not look at anyone’s religion. We saw that they were fighting in the Liberation War. They wanted to liberate the country.” 

Referring to the July mass uprising, Tarique said, “It was just over two years ago, in July and August. The students and people of this country ousted an autocrat. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets across Bangladesh. Even then, we did not look at the religion of the individual standing beside us.”

Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram around 7:40pm aboard a military aircraft, where ministers, local lawmakers and BNP leaders welcomed him.

He went directly to the JM Sen Hall Puja mandap after completing the airport formalities.

The visit was part of his tour of different parts of the country marking Durga Puja. Earlier in the day, he visited Puja mandaps in Rangpur and Rajshahi and exchanged greetings with members of the Hindu community.