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Bangladesh working to protect rights of minorities

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Update: 2019-07-19 16:05:48
Bangladesh working to protect rights of minorities

DHAKA: Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said Bangladesh has been relentlessly working to upheld religious pluralism and maintain the religious rights of all sects of people, especially rights of minorities.  

“Alongside maintaining the religious rights of its people, Bangladesh has upheld religious pluralism and rights of minorities. Besides, the country successfully prevented rise of extremist contents in Bangladesh” he said at the 2nd Ministerial meeting on advancing religious freedom hosted by the US Department of State on Thursday (July 18) . 

The minister also highlighted the commitment of the government to ensure basic rights of all sects of its people, said a press release sent by the Foreign Ministry on Friday (July 19).

He elaborated how the government of PM Sheikh Hasina maintained a ‘Zero Tolerance’ approach to any form of violence and discrimination, under any pretext, against religious minorities, and successfully prevented rise of extremist contents in Bangladesh. 

This has resulted in the unprecedented socio-economic growth of its economy, he said. 

Besides, non-communalism and peaceful coexistence, PM Hasina also promotes a national slogan ‘Religion unto individual, festivals unto all’, to promote religious tolerance and create a sense of accommodation among religious sects. 

Referring to the situation of Rohingya, the Foreign Minister said that Bangladesh is providing shelter to more than 1.1 million Rohingyas who fled from Myanmar atrocity.

He thanked the US government and the international community to extend support to host 1.1 million Rohingyas in Bangladesh. 

The representatives of 106 countries joined the third day of the three-day conference on Thursday. The foreign minister of 40 countries participated in this.

In the meeting, US Vice President Mike Pence, who delivered keynote speech, said a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya has forced more than 700,000 to flee across the border to Bangladesh.  

And though the United States has repeatedly urged the Burmese government to hold accountable all those responsible, the government has continued to imprison and harass innocent men and women, he added. 

The United States has urged the Burmese government to hold accountable those responsible and make it clear that these mass atrocities must never happen again.  But, so far, our words of admonition have seemed to fall on deaf ears.  

And that’s why this week, the United States of America placed visa sanctions on Burma’s top two military leaders — the commander in chief and his deputy — as well as two commanders of light infantry brigades.  We will hold them accountable, Pence also said. 

BDST: 1550 HRS, JULY 19, 2019
RS

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