Consensus among different religions, opinions and ethnicity in Bangladesh is needed for its overall development and moving ahead, said renowned academicians yesterday.
There are a number of ethnic groups other than the mainstream Bangalees who have been living in the country for decades. So, it should be ensured that the rights of these minority groups are preserved and they are included in the mainstream activities for the expected development in all sectors, they added.
They told the concluding session of a two-day international conference on Islam and Politics in South Asia at the Brac Centre Inn in the city.
Attending the conference, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Gawhar Rizvi said secularism does not mean absence of religion and separation of religion from the state.
Two separate concepts –“Modern World” and “Islamic World” have been developed in Bangladesh after the 9/11 incident, he said.
The discussants said attempts were made to include Islamic contents in the education curriculum and other sectors in Bangladesh in between 1980s and ’90s.
Some quarters had tried to include some specific portion of Islam in politics and society, they observed.
The conference, organised by the Brac Development Institute (BDI), highlighted different global, national and local situations through which Islam has emerged as a key element of political development around the world.
They said Islam was never been a religion of violence rather peace. But, it was distorted by some groups from different regions on earth to gain their political and other interests, they observed.
They said noted Islamic scholars should come forward to place the real essence of Islam among the people of the world.
Noted political experts, sociologists, anthropologists, journalists, experts in feminism, governance and other related areas from home and abroad attended the function.
Noted academician Professor Anisuzzaman, former adviser to a caretaker government Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, Brac University Professor Dr Piash Karim, Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Tania Ameer and Director of Brac Development Institute Syed Hashemi spoke at the event.
