No room for politics of division: Info minister

BARISHAL, July 31: Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Friday said no attempt to divide Bangladesh along religious, ethnic, linguistic or other identity lines would be allowed to succeed.

Speaking as the chief guest at the biennial conference of the Barishal district unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad at the Barishal Shilpakala Academy, the minister said the country's identity should be rooted in its shared citizenship.

"Some religious extremists raise slogans based on religious identity. They ask, 'Who are you, who am I?' and answer with the name of a religion. We say, 'Who are you, who am I? We are Bangladeshis.' That is our only identity," he said.

Swapon said Honourable Prime Miniater Tarique Rahman has upheld the principle that religion is a personal matter while the state belongs to all citizens.

"People have placed their trust in this vision," he said, adding that Bangladesh should embrace a broader national identity that reflects all its people.

Referring to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the minister said the slogan "Who are you, who am I? We are Bengalis" did not fully represent the identity of many communities living there.

"That is why our identity today should be Bangladeshi," he said.

The minister also said no conspiracy to divide people on the basis of religion, ethnicity, language, gender, or whether they live in the hills or plains would be tolerated.

"We will not allow such divisions to succeed," he said.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Central President Basudeb Dhar and General Secretary Santosh Sharma also addressed the conference, stressing the importance of communal harmony and an inclusive Bangladesh.

The event honoured five freedom fighters, including Bir Muktijoddha Nurul Alam Farid. Rakhal Chandra Dey and Bijoy Krishna Dey received lifetime achievement awards for their contributions to the Hindu community.