We want to build culture as a force of national unity, not for party interest: Khaiyam

MUNSHIGANJ, July 22: State Minister for Cultural Affairs Ali Nawaz Mahmud Khaiyam, MP, has stated that authoritarian rulers have always used culture as a tool to sustain their own power. 

He noted that not only culture but also the sporting arena had been exploited for political gains, causing damage to both fields. 

The government’s aim, he said, is to overcome that damage and build the cultural sphere free from party influence and in keeping with the modern era.

The State Minister made these remarks while speaking to journalists after inspecting the renovation work at the Munshiganj District Shilpakala Academy on Monday evening.

He observed that throughout world history, every autocrat has used culture, alongside repression, as a key means of retaining power. In Bangladesh, too, culture and sports have at various times been used for political ends, resulting in significant harm to these sectors.

The State Minister further said that the government is working to repair that damage. As part of the restructuring of the state apparatus, various initiatives have been undertaken to modernise the cultural arena, make it contemporary and keep it above partisan interests. The government’s goal is to create an environment for healthy cultural practice that unites all the people of the country.

Earlier, the State Minister inspected the ongoing renovation work at the Munshiganj District Shilpakala Academy. He later took part in a programme on the life and works of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, organised at the Sadar Upazila Parishad.

Present on the occasion were Munshiganj-3 constituency Member of Parliament Md. Kamruzzaman Ratan, Deputy Commissioner Syeda Nurmahal Ashrafi, Superintendent of Police Md. Menhajul Alam, along with officials from the district administration and figures from the cultural arena.