Govt does not want any division in name of religion: State Minister

Stating that every citizen has equal rights before the state, Railways and Road Transport State Minister Habibur Rashid has said the BNP government will not accept any division based on religion.

He made these remarks at a clothing distribution programme organised on the occasion of Janmashtami at the Bardeshwari Kali Temple in Sabujbagh, Dhaka, on Friday morning (August 4).

The state minister said it was possible to defeat autocracy in the July-August uprising because everyone participated in the movement unitedly, forgetting differences in religion, caste and identity. On the basis of that unity, an opportunity has been created to build a new democratic Bangladesh.

He said in the new Bangladesh, there is no scope to view citizens separately as majority or minority. In the eyes of the state, every citizen is equal and everyone will enjoy equal rights. Religious identity can never be a criterion for determining citizenship rights.

Habibur Rashid said the principle of "Religion is personal, the state is for all" will be given importance in governance. He also assured of ensuring the security of all religious places of worship, including mosques and temples.

The state minister also expressed gratitude to local residents for electing him rising above party and opinion divides, and expressed his determination to make Dhaka-9 constituency a model for development and public service.