PM sets example by visiting Durga Puja sites across country: Prince

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is visiting Durga Puja mandaps or sites in different parts of country to voice support and ensure security for the Hindu community during their biggest religious festival, said BNP Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince on Tuesday.

The PM has also made “historic fund allocations” and ordered the “strongest ever security measures” for the smooth Durga Puja celebrations, the leader of the ruling party added while speaking at a Hindu religious gathering in Haluaghat Upazila of Mymensingh on Tuesday.

The PM’s countrywide mandap visits and other historic measures stand in sharp contrast to the “communal approach” of the Opposition Parties, who Prince alleged have failed to rise above “religious divisions” to serve as “true political parties for the people.”

The biggest Opposition Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, has only paid lip service to ensuring communal harmony, and has so far failed to stand beside Hindus amid their festivities.

On Tuesday, Prince visited various Durga Puja mandaps across Haluaghat Upazila.

During the visits, he exchanged greetings with Hindu devotees, priests, and other members of the minority community and enquired about their well-being.

At the puja mandaps, devotees and worshippers welcomed Emran Saleh Prince with traditional drums, conch shells, ululation, and flowers. He exchanged greetings with everyone present.

Addressing the devotees and worshippers, Syed Emran Saleh Prince conveyed Sharadiya Durga Puja greetings to everyone on behalf of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and himself.

He said, “This year, Sharadiya Durga Puja is being celebrated on a grand scale at the highest number of mandaps in recent memory, in an environment free from fascism and fear. This has been made possible by the establishment of an elected government.

“Under the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the highest-ever allocations, the longest holiday period, and the highest level of security have been ensured nationwide for this year’s Durga Puja.

“He said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visits to puja mandaps and exchanges of greetings at the district level—not just in the capital—travelling from one end of the country to the other, represent an unprecedented example.

“Members of the Hindu community are now celebrating joyfully, enjoying their festivals, and freely practising their religion. The BNP government has worked to create a joyful and festive environment in which people can celebrate without fear or disruption. These measures reflect religious freedom, communal harmony, and the government’s commitment to people of all faiths.”

He further said, “The prevailing communal harmony represents a unique bond of social unity. Strengthening this harmony, unity, and solidarity, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has embarked on the struggle to build a humane Bangladesh. We should all place our trust in the Prime Minister and support him in rebuilding the country.

“He added that this year’s Durga Puja was being celebrated on a grand scale with the encouragement and direction of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, and that this trend would continue in the future.”

Questioning the roles of leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), Prince said they had not been seen standing alongside members of the Hindu community to offer assistance during this year’s Durga Puja. He said this indifference had once again called their political positions into question.

He alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami had repeatedly demonstrated communal politics through its actions and said the NCP should clarify whether it had adopted the policies of the leading party in its alliance.

He added that political parties had a responsibility to rise above communalism and respect the religious rights, festivals, and sentiments of people of all faiths. Merely speaking about communal harmony was not enough, he said; such commitments had to be reflected in their actual conduct.