No majority-minority divide, our sole identity is Bangladeshi: Mahdi Amin

Prime Minister’s Adviser and Spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Mahdi Amin on Saturday said the government envisions a state free of any majority-minority divide, where every citizen’s primary identity is simply "Bangladeshi".

Every citizen is entitled to equal rights, security, liberty, and dignity from the state, society, and the government, he said while inaugurating the "Mahalaya 1433" celebration organised by the Gulshan-Banani Sarbojanin Puja Foundation at the capital's Banani playground. The event marked the formal beginning of the countdown to the Sharodiya Durga Puja.

"We want a Bangladesh where no one faces discrimination or marginalisation over religious identity. Every citizen should live with their head held high and take part in national progress with equal dignity," Amin said, extending warm greetings to the Hindu community.

Highlighting recent state measures, he noted that the government under Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has increased financial allocations for puja mandaps nationwide and extended official public holidays to honour long-standing civic demands.

"Durga Puja embodies our age-old tradition of communal harmony. Diversity is our collective strength, not a fault line," he said, adding that the administration is committed to replacing malice with compassion, discrimination with justice, and division with unity.

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Underlining the government’s guiding principle of "Bangladesh First", Amin stressed that national sovereignty and public welfare remain paramount. He called on citizens across all faiths to set aside prejudices and work shoulder-to-shoulder to rebuild a fair, forward-looking, and inclusive nation.

Prime Minister's Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Deputy High Commissioner of the Indian High Commission in Dhaka Pawan Kumar Badhe, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Tapan Kanti Majumder, Gulshan-Banani Sarbojanin Puja Foundation President Alok Saha, and General Secretary Binoy Gopal Roy, among others, were present.