Hotline launched to prevent attacks on minorities

AFM Khalid Hossain, Adviser on Religious Affairs of the Interim Government, commented that some miscreants are attacking the homes and establishments of minorities by taking advantage of the situation that arose after the fall of the Awami League government through the anti-discrimination student movement. In such a situation, a hotline will be launched from the Ministry of Religion, he said.

Speaking to reporters after an exchange of views with officials at the ministry on Monday (August 12), the religious advisor said that those who attacked the place of worship are basically miscreants. We will try to bring them under the law and ensure strict punishment.

He said, I will announce the launch of a hotline from our ministry today. If a place of worship or someone's house or property is affected anywhere in Bangladesh, contact the hotline. We will contact the Ministry of Home Affairs and take the initiative to take immediate action.

AFM Khalid Hossain said, we got this country through a great liberation war. There is participation of people of all religions, their sacrifices, their blood. We cannot let it perish. It is a secular country and we have to nurture this spirit.

Assuring to stand by the non-Muslims, he said, "We want to assure that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony." We have been doing roza-pooja together for a long time now and there is no communal violence here. There may be some isolated incidents.

The religious adviser also said, "We, our government, are very careful to maintain communal harmony." We have issued a letter from the Ministry of Religion to various mosques in Bangladesh. I have instructed Imams to talk about the rights of non-Muslims in their sermons, to preserve their places of worship. We have asked the imams to give motivational speeches or wajs regarding the preservation of property, places of worship, their dignity and the work has already started.