Staff Correspondent

President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday called for collective efforts to ensure that no one faces discrimination, deprivation or insecurity because of their religion, race or communal identity.

In a message marking Sharadiya Durga Puja, he extended his warm greeting to all Hindu devotees in Bangladesh and abroad.

The President said the government was committed to ensuring religious freedom and equal rights for every citizen in the country, known for its communal harmony.

He said the government was supporting the management, renovation and development of Hindu religious institutions and places of worship, as it does for other religious institutions.

Alongside providing monthly honorariums to priests, initiatives were being taken to strengthen the activities of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust and make religious welfare grants and management more effective and coordinated, he added.

The President called upon all concerned to work towards ensuring that Hindu devotees and members of other religious communities could observe their respective religious rituals and festivals freely, safely and joyfully.

Describing Durga Puja as the principal religious festival of Bengali Hindus, he said its central message was the destruction of evil and the triumph of truth, beauty and welfare.

Durga Puja has long been celebrated in Bangladesh with various festivities, reflecting the country's tradition of communal harmony, he said, adding that the occasion brought people from all walks of life together in bonds of goodwill, mutual understanding and brotherhood.

The President wished happiness, peace and prosperity for all members of the Hindu community, expressing hope that the festival would spread the messages of humanity, justice and welfare to every home.