Religious leaders, officials call for unity at Feni dialogue

FENI, June 20: An interfaith dialogue aimed at promoting religious harmony and sustainable peace was held in the district on Saturday morning, under the theme “Let us build Bangladesh of peace and harmony, not conflict.”

The event was organised by The Hunger Project at a seminar hall of Hotel Radix in the town, with Peace Ambassador Group (PAG) Regional Coordinator Mohammad Shahadat Hossain in the chair. Additional Deputy Commissioner (Education and ICT) Fatima Sultana attended it as the chief guest.

The programme was moderated by Peace Facilitator Group (PFG) Feni Coordinator Lecturer Morshed Hossain.
Special guests included Additional Superintendent of Police (Sadar Circle) Nishat Tabbassum, BNP Joint Convener of Feni district Gazi Habibullah Manik, Jamaat-e-Islami District Publicity Secretary A.N.M. Abdur Rahim, BNP Member Advocate Partha Pal Chowdhury, and Municipality Jamaat Ameer Engineer Nazrul Islam.

Speakers also included former Feni Press Club president Muhammad Abu Taher Bhuiyan, Imam Samity General Secretary Hafiz Zakir Hossain, and representatives from Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities, among others.

During the discussion, speakers said Bangladesh has a long tradition of religious harmony, where people of different faiths have lived together peacefully for centuries.

They said it is common for people of different religions to participate in each other’s social and religious events, which reflects the country’s cultural heritage of coexistence.

However, they warned that attempts are often made to disrupt this harmony. In the age of social media, misinformation and rumours can spread quickly and create tensions, they said, stressing the need for greater awareness.

“Even small rumours can escalate into major conflicts. We must verify information before sharing anything on social media,” they added.
They also called upon religious leaders, political figures and members of civil society to play a stronger role in preserving communal harmony.