Home Adviser Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury (Retd.) today said Bangladesh always practices secularism as there was no difference among the people having different religious faiths.
“Bangladesh has always practiced secularism. There is no such secularism like Bangladesh elsewhere (in the world). All the Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians are living here together,” he said.
The Home Adviser was talking to journalists after inspecting the overall arrangement on the occasion of the Maha Ashtami Snan" (holy dip) festival, a significant Hindu religious ritual, which takes place annually at Langalbandh in Narayanganj.
Hundreds of devotees from Bangladesh and other countries gather there to take a holy dip in the Brahmaputra River.
Jahangir asked all concerned to take necessary measures to upgrade the arrangement for celebrating the holy festival in a more festive way.
Replying to a question, he said there are no differences among various religious faiths here.
“We have no differences among the Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian. All are Bangladeshis there,” he said.
About announcing Langalbandh in Narayanganj as the tourist spot, the Home Adviser said the Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj has already made the announcement in consultation with the tourism ministry.
“But, we have to keep in mind its religious importance and sanctity,” he said.
Jahangir called upon the media to write objective news to rightly confront the fake as some local and foreign media outlets often carry false news for the sake of their economic benefit.
“Write about the wrong, if we have. But, don’t give the false news,” he said.
Senior civil and military officials were present during the news briefing.