Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday called on people of all religions to work together, shoulder to shoulder, to build Bangladesh, urging citizens to rise above religious identities and recognise one another as Bangladeshis.

He made the call while addressing members of the Hindu community during a visit to Dhakeshwari National Temple in the capital on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Social Welfare Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain also spoke at the event.

“This is your country, this is my country. Let us all work together, shoulder to shoulder, to build the country,” the prime minister said.

Emphasising equal rights irrespective of religious identity, Tarique Rahman said people might follow different religions, but the state belonged to everyone. Every citizen had equal rights in the country, and ensuring the security of all citizens was the responsibility of the state, he added.

“Religion may be different — I may follow one religion and you another. But the state belongs to all of us. The state called Bangladesh belongs to all of us. Just as you have rights in this country, so do I. Just as you have duties towards this country, so do I,” he said.

Highlighting the responsibilities of the state and the importance of mutual cooperation among citizens, the prime minister said the state was responsible for ensuring everyone's security.

“Our responsibility is to look after one another. We must work together to take this country forward,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said the foremost identity of everyone present was that of a human being, and that all were citizens of Bangladesh.

Recalling the Liberation War of 1971, he said people had joined the struggle to achieve independence without considering one another's religious identities.

“When people of this country rose up in the Liberation War in 1971 to bring home the sun of independence, we did not look at who was Muslim, who was Hindu, who was Buddhist or who was Christian. We did not make such distinctions on the battlefield, nor did we ask one another about religion,” he said.

Referring to subsequent movements to restore democracy and voting rights, the prime minister said people had also stood together, regardless of religion, when democratic rights came under threat.

“When people took to the streets to establish their political rights and the right to vote, no protester asked the person standing beside them whether they were Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Christian. Everyone raised their voice to establish people's right to speak and their right to vote,” he said.

Recalling the mass uprising of Aug 5, 2024, Tarique Rahman said thousands and hundreds of thousands of people had taken to the streets without asking one another about their religious identities.

“It was not so long ago — not even two and a half years, perhaps. If we close our eyes, the scenes of Aug 5, 2024, come back before us. During that mass uprising, thousands and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. Did any of us ask anyone which religion they belonged to?” he said.

Highlighting the sacrifices made by people of different faiths during the July mass uprising, he said members of the Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian communities had all laid down their lives to establish people's rights.

The prime minister said he had earlier attended the inauguration of the July martyrs' memorial at Osmani Udyan on Monday, where martyrs from different religious communities were remembered.

Calling for collective efforts to bring about development and change, he said improvements in the country and the lives of its people would benefit everyone, irrespective of religion.

“If this country changes and the lives of its people improve, you will benefit just as I will,” he said.

He added that people did not distinguish between religions when someone suffered, just as they did not do so when people were doing well.

“When someone suffers, people do not ask which religion they belong to. Likewise, when people are well, they do not make such distinctions. They see that you are a human being and I am a human being,” he said.

The prime minister urged everyone to recognise one another first as human beings and then as citizens of Bangladesh.

Extending his greetings to members of the Hindu community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja, he described the gathering as an occasion of joy and a meeting of people.