‘Everyone has equal rights, no minorities’: State Minister

Housing and Public Works State Minister Ahmed Sohel Manzur has said everyone in Bangladesh enjoys equal rights, regardless of religious identity, urging people not to use the term “minority.”

“I do not want to hear the word ‘minority’ from you. Everyone has equal rights, and there is no division. Your rights are the same as ours,” he said at a Durga Puja event in Nesarabad upazila of Pirojpur on Monday (October 19).

The minister was speaking as the chief guest at a programme marking Durga Puja 2026, where financial assistance and gifts from the prime minister were distributed among 102 puja mandaps in the upazila.

He thanked members of the Hindu community for their support during the election, saying he would remain grateful to them throughout his life. He also said their contribution had helped him become a member of parliament.

Manzur said he wanted to work with people of all religions for Nesarabad’s development, ensuring that no divisions existed among communities. Religious identity should never be a basis for treating people differently, he added.

Regarding the assistance, the state minister said the prime minister had asked him to convey his greetings and congratulations to members of the Hindu community. Despite various challenges, the government had increased allocations for puja mandaps compared with the previous government, he said.

The prime minister also expressed hope that more support could be provided in the coming years, Manzur added.

Representatives of 102 puja mandaps and Hindu community members attended the programme.

-AJM