On October 3, at 3:30 pm, in front of the High Court, a human chain was organized by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) with the slogan “Maintain Communal Harmony” on the eve of Shardiya Durga Puja, the main religious event of Hindu Community.
The President of BMP, Dr. Fauzia Moslem, presided over the program. Among others, Maleka Banu, General Secretary of BMP, Adv. Masuda Rehana Begum, Joint General Secretary, Rehana Yunus, General Secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan Committee; Rekha Saha, Central Legal Aid Secretary and Humaira Khatun, Social Welfare Secretary, delivered their speeches.
General Secretary of BMP, Maleka Banu, emphasized on the diversity of the country in terms of religion and culture. She acknowledged the coexistence of people from different religions and condemned any attempts by certain groups to impose their beliefs on the people of the Hindu Community. She expressed support for the people of Hindu religion and urged them to be seen as important rather than a minority group. Maleka Banu called upon everyone to be alert in protecting the environment during festivals and preventing any attacks on temples. She encouraged the nation to celebrate the festival with dedication, regardless of religion.
The speakers at the event expressed concern about the vulnerability of the community and the negative impact it has had on Bengali culture. They believe that there is a political agenda to create fear and infiltrate the minority community. They called for the establishment of a democratic, non-communal, and gender-equal state and society to promote communal harmony. Additionally, they urged the government to ensure that everyone in the country can celebrate the autumnal festival in a festive atmosphere.
Dr. Fauzia Moslem highlighted the issue of religious intolerance and violence during the Sharad festival in her speech. She emphasized that these attacks are not driven by religious motives, rather by a desire to loot temple property. She called for unity among progressive and democratic citizens to combat such divisive acts and promote communal harmony. She urged the eradication of hatred, enmity, and violence from the country, and the establishment of the rule of law by addressing corruption and black money.
The leaders of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP), journalists, and officials of print and electronic media were present in this human chain program.
The program was conducted by Jana Goswami, Advocacy and Lobby Director of BMP.
