President, PM greet Hindu community on Durga Puja

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today felicitated the Hindu community in separate messages on the occasion of Durga Puja.

The president in his message said, "Religions are of communities but festivals are universal. Durga Puja is the major religious festival of Bangalee Hindu community. Hindus worship Durga to establish peace in the society through the elimination of demons, ill forces and injustice from the society." 

"Durga Puja and other rituals are performed from the depth of traditional heritage and culture of Bangla so that the festival is never confined into the circumference of religion," he added.

Abdul Hamid also said "Bangladesh is a unique example of communal harmony in the world" and hoped it would inspire all to contribute better to national development. "We all hope that the Sharadiya Durgotsab would further consolidate the bonds of friendship and fraternity among the religious communities," the president said.

The prime minister in her message said that the Sharadiya Durgotsab is not only a festival of Hindus but of all communities, irrespective of religion.

"The main theme of Durga Puja is the victory of good over evil and prayer for truth and beauty," she said. She also said that Bangladesh is a safe abode for people of all religious persuasions. 

"Our constitution ensures equal rights of the people of all faiths, irrespective of color, creed or gender," she said.

Sheikh Hasina hoped that the thousand-year-old bond of communal harmony of Bangalees would be retained with the united effort of all to create a "Sonar Bangla," as envisaged by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Source: BSS