Conspirators trying to undermine communal harmony: Rizvi

BNP Acting Secretary General and Political Adviser to the Prime Minister Ruhul Kabir Rizvi has warned that conspirators are actively working to undermine Bangladesh's longstanding communal harmony and spirit of brotherhood, making the remarks on Tuesday morning after paying tribute at the graves of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia at Zia Udyan in Dhaka.

Rizvi said communal harmony and fraternity remained deeply embedded within Bangladesh's social fabric, noting that people of different faiths had coexisted for generations across the country. Highlighting the existence of three separate welfare trusts established for the Hindu, Buddhist and Christian communities respectively, he urged their governing bodies to ensure the proper management of places of worship and to allow devotees to practise their faith freely and without hindrance.

He further observed that the concept of Bangladeshi nationalism, first introduced by Ziaur Rahman, accorded equal recognition to all religious communities and ethnic groups alike--a framework he described as foundational to the country's pluralistic identity. Although anti-state elements had repeatedly sought to fracture this social cohesion, he maintained that the population had remained steadfastly united, continuing to partake in one another's religious festivals, including Puja celebrations and Eid, in a manner he characterised as emblematic of the nation's enduring resilience.

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Taken together, Rizvi's remarks appear calculated to reassure minority communities amid heightened sensitivities, while simultaneously reaffirming the BNP-led government's stated commitment to preserving the pluralistic ethos that has long distinguished Bangladesh's social and religious landscape from more sharply polarised societies elsewhere in the region.