13 August 2024: Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on Tuesday, where he assured the minorities in Bangladesh of their safety and security in the country, report Bangladesh newspapers Daily Star and Dhaka Tribune.
“Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge – what we were able to do and not. If we fail, then criticise us,” Prof Yunus said.
“In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. That is why, such issues arise. Institutional arrangements need to be fixed,” he added.
According to the Daily Star, Yunus met with representatives of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, as well as officials from the temple management board. Prof Yunus was accompanied by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain.
The Dhaka Tribune reported that Yunus also urged the Hindu community people to consider themselves children of the soil.
“You simply say that you are human, a citizen of Bangladesh, and this is your constitutional right that must be ensured. Just demand this, nothing more,” Prof Yunus was quoted as saying.
Following Younus’ visit, a significant meeting was held between representatives of the Muslim community and the Hindu minority at the temple. This gathering served as a platform for open dialogue, where both communities discussed various issues and worked towards strengthening communal harmony.
Participants of the meeting expressed their mutual understanding and emphasized the importance of unity in fostering a peaceful society.
Further, they assured each other that the minority Hindu community was not in danger and that any attempts to harass or attack them would be met with legal repercussions.
Many of the Hindu community members in the temple spoke with ANI, and one of the members said, “There would be no caste difference between Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians. We are one people, one life. We all have come together in one Bangladesh. We will live together.”
Prof Muhammad Yunus’ outreach could be seen as an effort to calm frayed nerves in the minority community.
