Dhaka: The chief adviser of the interim government, Dr Muhammad Yunus, has sought the advice of religious leaders on how to collect accurate and unrestricted information regarding the problems of the country’s minorities.
He said, “We need to know the real facts. This process needs to be established. In such a large country, anything can happen, but we must know the true information so that immediate solutions can be given. Whoever commits crimes, they are guilty. It is the government’s responsibility to bring them to justice.”
Muhammad Yunus made these comments during a meeting with religious leaders on Thursday afternoon. The meeting began at 4:30pm at the Foreign Service Academy.
According to sources at the meeting, Chittagong Hill Tracts affairs advisor Supradip Chakma, poet and thinker Farhad Mazhar, Hefazat-e-Islam secretary general Sajedur Rahman, Hefazat-e-Islam central leaders Muhiuddin Rabbani, Junaid Al Habib and Munir Hossain Qasemi, Bangladesh Qawmi Madrasa Education Board (Befaq) secretary general Mahfuzul Haque, Islamic speaker and founder of As-Sunnah Foundation Shaikh Ahmadullah, Khatib of Baitul Mukarram national mosque Abdul Malek and some other scholars participated in the meeting. Leaders of Hindu, Christian and Buddhist religions also joined the meeting.
The chief adviser said, “Today’s discussion would be a frank one where we all will participate.”
“…Many questions have come to our minds; I’ve sat here today to find out the answers to that question. I’ve heard minorities are still being attacked. So we’ve sat here today to find a solution,” said Dr Yunus.
Reminding his speech at the airport before forming the government, Dr Yunus said, “We are one family. We’ll have different opinions, different religions, different customs but we all belong to the same family. I stressed on this notion. Despite all our differences, we are not enemies…we all are Bangladeshis, members of a single family.”
“After taking the oath, I started to learn about minority oppression which hurt me. I then visited Dhakeshwari temple where I spread the idea that we are members of the same family,” Dr Yunus said.
The chief adviser said the constitution has guaranteed equal rights for all and it is the obligation of the state to ensure this right to all.
Some foreign media is reporting fresh communal violence in Bangladesh but no such incident took place, he added.
“Anything can happen in such a big country but we want to learn the real information. Solution can be made if information is received immediately. It is the responsibility of the government to bring to book whoever is responsible,” Dr Yunus added.
He sought recommendations from the religious leaders on how accurate information can be received easily on minority issues.