The Way to Peace

Bangladesh can be regarded as the world’s champion and role model for communal harmony. People have lived here with long-term inter-communal peace and confidence. The world is well aware of and admires Bangladesh’s inter-communal harmony. Bangladeshis adhere to the policy of “religion is everyone’s festival; everyone has equal respect for all religions.”

Bangladesh, as a secular state, strives to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups. Inter-communal harmony is synonymous with Bengali culture. It is one of the few countries in the world where Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and various ethnic tribes coexist peacefully.

The government of Bangladesh, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, believes in inter-communal harmony. She makes every effort to participate in religious and cultural programs. Anyone can see that she is dedicated to protecting the rights of all groups. Sheikh Hasina’s regime is committed to ensuring this.

Various religious holidays such as Eid of the Muslim community, Pujas of the Hindu community, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day of the Christian community, and Buddha Purnima are held simultaneously in Bangladesh during Mangal Shobhajatra or Mangal Jatra at dawn on the first day of the Bengali New Year. Muslim festivals such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Azha, Milad al-Nabi, Muharram, Chand Raat, Shab-e-Baraat, and Bishwa Ijtema; Hindu festivals such as Durga Puja and Janmashtami; Buddhist festival of Buddha Purnima; Christian festival of Christmas; and secular festivals such as Pohela Boishakh, Nabanna, Language Movement Day, Independence Day, Rabindra Jay in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region, Bengalis and non-Bengalis celebrate tribal holidays such as Biju, Sangria, Baisabi, and others together. Bangladesh has no religious or racial boundaries. Everyone is there for everyone else. In Bangladesh, people of all religions and nationalities are united.

“I usually say that religion is a personal matter, but festivals are open to everyone.” Peace and friendship are our pride,” says Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, adding that the communal harmony that has existed here for thousands of years must be preserved at all costs.

Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity are the four major religions in the country. Muslims account for around 88.3 percent of the population. The majority of Muslims in Bangladesh are Sunnis; however, Shia Muslims make up roughly 3% of the Muslim population. About 10.5 percent of the population is Hindu. Buddhists and Christians make up the majority of the others.

Durga Puja, observed by Hindus, Christmas, observed by Christians on December 25, and Buddha Purnima, observed by Buddhists, are some of the other holidays observed by the minorities, These celebrations reflect not only the imprint of religion, but also that of the society and nation.

The Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League slogan ‘Dhormo Jaar Jaar, Utsob Shobar,’ (religion as per one’s own, but festivals common to all” is a testimony of its secular values and has set a precedent in the international community and is an asset for establishing a shining example in South Asia regarding communal harmony.

As a result, the government has given enough security for religious minorities’ celebrations, such as the Durga Puja. Over 30,000 Durga Pujas were held across the country in 2017, all of which went without a hitch. This reflects the general sense of security in the country and not just among the Hindu minority.

Despite the historically liberal Bengali culture and the country’s secular underpinnings, the fortunes of religious minorities have changed depending on which political dispensation is in power.

The AL government has taken a number of substantial steps to maintain and improve the country’s secular underpinnings. In the 1972 Constitution, the Awami League integrated secularism as a guiding principle of the state, alongside democracy, nationalism, and socialism.

Whenever the AL was in power, it tried to protect these ideals as well as the interests and welfare of religious minorities. The Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Peace Accord, signed by PMSH in 1997, marked a turning point in the region’s peace efforts.

Everyone in Bangladesh has equal rights, and no one is labeled as a religious minority. Attacks on the Buddhist community in Ramu upazila of Cox’s Bazar and attacks on different temples in Cumilla were separate incidents. They mentioned how social media could sometimes play a negative role, as fake Facebook IDs were previously used to instigate communal attacks.

There are some misconceptions, misinformation and propaganda regarding the decreasing of the number and persecution of minorities in Bangladesh. This perception is entirely false. Unfairly and without basis, Bangladesh is portrayed as a nation that discriminates against its minorities, especially Hindus. Separate incidents don’t symbolize the mindset of the whole Bangladeshi people. Senior government officials regularly visit a number of the impacted locations and give the Hindu community members assurances that they will receive proper protection and reimbursements for losses.

Community harmony abounds in Bangladesh. People from all faiths interact together in this place. Since the dawn of time, this custom has persisted. For the people of Bangladesh, this is surely a source of pride.