A seminar and cultural fair titled “Communal Harmony: The Great Bridge of Humanity” was held on Tuesday, aiming to promote unity, tolerance and peaceful coexistence among people of all religions and communities amid growing concerns over social division and misinformation.
Organised by Kushtia Society Banasree on the occasion of Pohela Boishakh 2026, the event brought together community leaders, academics and professionals to highlight the importance of communal harmony in maintaining social stability and national development.
Speakers at the event noted that although Bangladesh is a multi-religious and multicultural society, incidents of communal tension and violence still occur in different parts of the country.
They pointed to the spread of rumours and provocative content on social media, political exploitation of divisions, and a lack of accountability as key contributing factors to unrest and distrust among communities.
In his presidential remarks, Kushtia Society Banasree President and businessman Aminul Islam Bacchu said the country’s strength lies in unity and mutual respect among all communities.
He stressed that communal division goes against the country’s cultural values and called for collective efforts from all sections of society, including business leaders, educators and social organisations, to nurture harmony and instil human values in the younger generation.
Delivering the keynote presentation, Dr Afroja Parvin, Advisor of the organisation and Executive Director of Nari Unnayan Shakti, described communal harmony as not only a moral value but also a prerequisite for sustainable development.
She warned that inequality, suppression of dissent, and social injustice often fuel violence, with women and children being the most affected. She emphasised the need to promote human rights education and tolerance at family, institutional, and state levels.
The Secretary of the organisation, Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital Dr Md Masum Ali, also spoke at the programme, saying that true harmony can only be achieved when individuals begin to see one another purely as human beings beyond religious or social identities.
Other attendees included Vice President Shafiqul Islam, Joint Secretary Jahirul Islam, and Publicity Secretary Md Hamidul Islam, among others.
The seminar also outlined a series of recommendations to strengthen communal harmony, including ensuring swift justice in cases of communal violence, strengthening minority protection, expanding awareness and education on human values, preventing misinformation on social media, enhancing law enforcement capacity, promoting interfaith dialogue and ensuring special protection for women and children affected by violence.
Speakers concluded that sustainable development is not possible without social harmony, urging collective responsibility from all stakeholders to build a peaceful, tolerant, and inclusive society.
