The chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia has pledged that her party would boost the country’s religious harmony if it comes to power in the next parliamentary elections. “I believe in religious harmony and the unity of people from all classes, which will be boosted if BNP is voted to power in the next general elections,” she said.
“We will beef up protective measures if harmony and unity are affected in any way,” she said while addressing a function to exchange greetings with people of the Hindu community on the occasion of Shubho Bijoya at the city’s Ladies Club on Saturday afternoon.
There has been a perception in people’s minds that there is a wide gap between the BNP and the people of the Hindu community, but this is a totally wrong perception, the former prime minister added.
“Bangladesh is a land of religious harmony. We observe all religious festivals here together,” she iterated.
The people of the Hindu community have been treated as a religious minority in the country, which is a wrong way of identifying them, she said. “I want to say that religion is a matter of personal liking, but the country is for all. We are Bangladeshis,” Khaleda Zia, who is also chief of the 18-party alliance, said.
She also called upon people from all classes, irrespective of religious faith, to be united under the leadership of the nationalist party’s politics to foster the country’s peace and progress.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, ASM Hannan Shah, Abdul Moeen Khan, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy and Rafiqul Islam Mia, BNP assistant secretary (law affairs) Nitai Roy Chowdhury and others were present during the programme.
-With The Independent input
