Last Updated on October 16, 2026 7:29 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain, Dhaka
Bangladesh’s opposition leader and Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman has called on the government and opposition to work together to protect the rights, security and interests of the country’s Hindu community ahead of Durga Puja.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Hindu community leaders at his official residence in Dhaka on Wednesday (October 14).
“Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and members of ethnic minority communities, we are all Bangladeshis and proud citizens of this country. Protecting the country’s independence and sovereignty is a sacred responsibility for all of us,” Shafiqur said.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Jamaat secretary general Mia Golam Porwar quoted the opposition leader as saying, “We must work together, hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder, for the country’s development and prosperity.”
Porwar said Hindu leaders had praised Jamaat activists for helping ensure security at temples, puja pandals and religious ceremonies following the August 5, 2024 political upheaval.
However, community representatives also raised concerns over discrimination, deprivation, insecurity and other difficulties faced by Hindus.
Shafiqur assured them that the government and opposition would work together to address their concerns, Porwar said, adding that Jamaat would continue dialogue and extend cooperation.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer Subrata Chowdhury thanked the Jamaat chief for inviting Hindu representatives ahead of Durga Puja.
He urged people across religious, ethnic and political backgrounds to work together for Bangladesh’s social, political and economic development, expressing hope that Jamaat would contribute to communal harmony.
Hindu leaders stressed that equal rights, security and dignity must be ensured through practical action rather than statements alone. They urged both the government and opposition to jointly address the community’s grievances.
Both sides agreed to maintain communication and cooperation.
Jamaat leaders attending the meeting included assistant secretary general Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, who heads the party’s publicity and media department, and central executive council members Mobarak Hossain and MP Shafiqul Islam Masud.
Hindu representatives included Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mahajote president Dinubandhu Roy, secretary general Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, presidium member Narayan Chandra Sarkar, senior joint secretary general Partha Sarathi Ghosh and joint secretary general Amal Chowdhury.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council president Subrata Chowdhury and acting general secretary Manindra Kumar Nath also attended, along with Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad president Basudeb Dhar and general secretary Santosh Sharma.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) representatives, including president Satyaranjan Barai and general secretary Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, were also present.
The meeting concluded with both sides emphasising the need for sustained dialogue, equal rights and communal harmony.