Masum Billah, Dhaka
Chief Adviser of the interim government, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, emphasized the need for national unity and patience during challenging times while addressing the Hindu community at Dhakeshwari Temple. He urged the people of Bangladesh to unite as one family, transcending religious and ethnic divisions.
Dr. Yunus, a Nobel laureate, advocated for a Bangladesh where discrimination and conflict have no place, stating, "We want to build a Bangladesh that will be like one family. There is no question of discrimination or conflict within a family. We all are people of Bangladesh. We want to make sure that we all can live here."
He called for the nation to resist division based on religion or ethnicity, emphasizing that there should be one law and one constitution for all. "Instead of categorizing ourselves as minorities or by other divisive terms, we should assert that we are the people of this country, and our democratic rights should be established," he said.
Dr. Yunus highlighted the importance of justice, equality, and institutional reform as solutions to the nation's problems. "The root of all problems is that all our institutional arrangements have deteriorated. This is the cause of the chaos. Hence, we need to fix these institutional arrangements," he noted.
He further urged the community not to identify as a minority, but rather to demand democratic rights that secure freedom of speech and human rights for all citizens. "If you say 'we need to be represented as a minority,' then we are moving away from the main problem. We must say that we need to establish democratic rights," Dr. Yunus added.
The Chief Adviser concluded by stressing the need to eradicate the 'disease' of division and discrimination from its roots, ensuring equal treatment and justice for all citizens under the law.
