Dhaka, Aug 13 (UNI) Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's Interim Government Muhammad Yunus visited the Dhakeshwari National Temple here and assured the country's Hindu community that everybody has equal rights which have to be ensured sans any distinction based on people's religious beliefs.
Reaching out to Bangladesh's largest minority community which has complained of widespread attacks on life and property as also religious sites, Yunus said the country's citizens should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings.
"In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured," he said during his visit on Tuesday.
Yunus said: "The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. That is why such issues arise. Institutional arrangements need to be fixed... Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us".
According to The Daily Star, he urged people to be patient and assist the new Interim Government before making judgments about uts performance.
"Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge — what we were able to do and not. If we fail, then criticise us," the Nobel Peace Prize winner said.
Yunus met leaders from Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council) and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee (Metropolitan Community Puja Committee), as well as officials from the temple management board and devotees, the report said.
He was accompanied by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain.
President of Puja Udjapan Parishad Basudeb Dhar, General Secretary Santosh Sharma, President of Sarbajanin Puja Committee Jayanta Kumar Dev, General Secretary Tapas Chandra Pal, and Presidium Member of the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council Kajol Debnath and Joint General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath attended the meeting.
Regarding the visit, Dhar commented, "We congratulated Dr Yunus on assuming office. We had a cordial meeting with him."
The Hindus have complained they were victims of over 200 attacks in 52 districts of Bangladesh since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 in the face of a student-led rebellion. Hundreds of Hindus were injured in attacks on their homes, workplaces and temples.
Protesting against the alleged atrocities, the Hindu community leaders have demanded special tribunals to try those engaged in persecuting minorities. They have also called for allocation of 10% of the parliamentary seats to the country’s minority groups and a law on minority protection.Yunus, who took charge on August 7, earlier condemned the attacks on minority communities, urging the students to protect minority groups. UNI XC ARN SSP