‘I have as many rights as you do’ – Tarique Rahman to Hindus

Staff Correspondent

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has pledged to ensure equal rights for people of all religions and communities in Bangladesh. He said, “As a citizen of Bangladesh, I have the same rights as you do in this country. No one is more, no one is less.”

He made the remarks while virtually joining the ‘Hindu Representatives Conference-2025’ held at the Krishibid Institute auditorium in the capital on Saturday afternoon from London. The conference was organized by the Matua Bahujan Samaj Oikya Jote. Representatives and leaders of various Math-Mandir committees, Hindu society were present at the event.

Describing Bangladesh’s religious and cultural diversity as the country’s strength, Tarique Rahman said, “The bond of unity amidst diversity is the beauty of our state and society. The root of this unity is Bangladeshi nationalism.”

He also said, “No citizen in our state will be allowed to be deprived because of their religion, caste, or beliefs.”

At the beginning of his speech, Tarique Rahman said that the main responsibility of the current interim government is to form a responsible and accountable democratic government established by the people’s vote. He made it clear, “This government’s job is not to protect the interests of any party, but to protect the rights of the people.”

Tarique Rahman said, “The companions of the movement were our allies in the democratic struggle. Now it is important for all of them to maintain unity so that the defeated dictatorship cannot return in any way.”

He called for the continuation of the politics of national unity and cooperation and said, “Only as a united nation can we prevent the resurgence of fascism.”

Tarique Rahman announced that if BNP forms the government, it will distribute 5 million ‘family cards’ for low-income people and take initiatives to create employment for the youth.

He said, “Technical training and employment opportunities abroad will be created to enhance the skills of the young population.”

The conference was presided over by Somnath Sen, convener of the Matua Bahujan Samaj Oikya Jote. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir presented their demands on behalf of the Hindu community to the BNP leadership. BNP standing committee members Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moin Khan, Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, and Iqbal Hasan Mahmud also spoke at the event.

Leaders of Hindu organizations including Matua Alliance’s Kapil Krishna Mandal, Samen Saha, Govinda Chandra Pramanik, Bijan Kanti Sarkar, and Subarna Rani Thakur spoke at the event.

The conference began with the recitation of the Vedas and Gita and the lighting of lamps. Speakers at the event demanded equal rights, security, protection of temples and religious freedom for the Hindu community.