Says Mozena
The violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh is seldom about religion, US Ambassador Dan Mozena said yesterday. Rather, it is about the pursuit of power and financial gain of the cheap politicians and greedy land grabbers, he told a seminar on “Religious Tolerance and Peace” organised by Inter-Faith Dialogue Forum (IFDF) at the capital’s Brac Centre.“These cheap politicians and greedy land grabbers are a threat to the nation,” he said.
Citing examples, Mozena said most recently, “we saw how the greedy owner of Rana Plaza grabbed land from a Hindu family and built on it the building complex that is now known around the world as the symbol of greed, corruption and land grabbing from minorities.”
He called upon the government, civil society and the people to reject these cheap politicians and land grabbers who seek to use religion to advance their self-serving agendas to acquire power and wealth.
Mozena said diversity was the beauty and magic of Bangladesh. The respects for religions here also reflect at the national level as the country observes national holidays during the key festival of each religion, he said. “I know of no nation where the president hosts a grand reception to commemorate the great festival days of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.”
-With The Daily Star input
