President M Abdul Hamid on Thursday (August 18) urged all to maintain communal harmony, forgetting religious or ethnic differences.

The President came up with the call as a delegation of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust paid a courtesy call on him at Bangabhaban here marking the Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, an annual Hindu festival that falls on the birthday of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.

Wishing the Hindus on Janmashtami, the President said, "Religious harmony is an integral part of the history and tradition of Bangladesh." President's Press Secretary Md Jainal Abedin said to the media.

Noting that the main message of all religions is welfare of the people, he said every religious festival in this country has been celebrated in a festive mood with the participation of common people since the beginning.

The Head of State said the government is providing various incentives to ease the life of common people in the context of the Covid-19 and the current economic situation worldwide.

The President urged everyone to extend an all out cooperation and sympathy so that the poor of the society can enjoy the Janmashtami festival smoothly.

During the meeting, Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, Chairman of Hindu Religious Welfare Trust and State Minister of Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan, Manoranjan Sheel Gopal, MP, Dr Shree Biren Shikder, MP and Pankaj Debnath, MP, among others, were present.

President's Office Secretary Sampad Barua, Military Secretary Major General SM Salah Uddin Islam, Press Secretary Md Joynal Abedin, and Secretary (Attachment) Md Wahidul Islam Khan were also present there.

BDST: 2152 HRS, Aug 18, 2022
MSK