Dhaka: State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Sultan Salahuddin Tuku on Tuesday said that the BNP did not believe in the concept of a minority-majority divide, stressing that people of all faiths share one identity — Bangladeshis.
“Whether Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Christian, everyone living in this country has one identity: we are Bangladeshis. If we remain united, no conspiracy will succeed,” he said.
Tuku made the remarks at a meeting organised by the Nawabganj upazila administration at the Abdul Washek Auditorium of the Upazila Parishad ahead of Durga Puja 2026. The meeting focused on security at puja mandaps and maintaining law and order during the festival.
Government-allocated rice and cash assistance from the Dhaka District Council were distributed at the meeting.
“We consider Durga Puja very important. In the past, the BNP stood beside members of the Hindu community to help them celebrate the festival peacefully. We will continue to support them this year. Committees have already been formed for individual puja mandaps,” the state minister said.
Referring to the political philosophy of late president Ziaur Rahman, Tuku said the BNP opposed the concept of dividing citizens into minorities and majorities, emphasising Bangladeshi nationalism as a unifying principle.
He urged law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert to ensure security at puja mandaps, warning that negligence in performing their duties would not be tolerated. He also called for installing CCTV cameras at every mandap and urged puja celebration committee leaders to remain vigilant.
“Maintaining law and order is everyone’s responsibility. If the country remains safe, we will all be safe. We must remain alert to those seeking to create anarchy or hatch conspiracies,” he said.
Referring to the banned Awami League, Tuku accused its leaders of establishing fascist rule, persecuting people and opening fire on citizens. He said the people had driven the party from power and its leaders had been forced to flee the country.
He alleged that they had shown no remorse and were threatening to return in an even more dangerous form.
“The people of this country have never bowed to injustice and do not tolerate wrongdoing. If anyone tries to return, the people of Bangladesh will respond,” he said, adding that attempts to destabilise the country would not succeed if people remained united.
Tuku also called for a concerted effort to tackle drug abuse, describing it as one of the country’s major problems. He urged the authorities and local communities to remain vigilant against drug use and related activities during the festival.
Stressing the importance of public health and dengue prevention, he called for keeping puja mandaps and surrounding areas clean, preventing water from accumulating and taking necessary measures to minimise health risks.
The meeting was chaired by Dhaka Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam. Special guests included Khondaker Abu Ashfaq, MP for Dhaka-1 (Dohar-Nawabganj); Dhaka District Council Administrator Md Yasin Ferdous Murad; and Additional Superintendent of Police Md Tarikul Islam.
Nawabganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Yasin Khandaker delivered the welcome address.
Officials from the district and upazila administrations, law enforcement personnel, puja celebration committee leaders, and leaders of the BNP and its affiliated organisations attended the meeting.
