A call has been made from a discussion to maintain communal harmony for continuity of Bangladesh’s development.
Published : 25 Sep 2018, 05:17 AM
Politicians, economists, academicians, researchers, and former civil and army officers expressed their views at the discussion titled ‘Communal Harmony, Peace and Conflict’ and organised by The Asian Age newspaper at a Dhaka hotel on Monday.
It was moderated by Shamim Chowdhury, Advisory Editor of the daily.
Its Roving Editor Nadeem Qadir presented the keynote.
He gave a brief picture of how communal hatred was spread once again throughout Bangladesh after the assassination of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.
The communal harmony also worked in the recent development of Bangladesh, he thinks.
Richard Benkin, a US-born human rights activist, who spoke as the main discussant, said, "Bangladesh can become the leader of communal harmony in South Asia if all concerned work together with the goal of eliminating communal entities from the country."
Former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof AK Azad Chowdhury, former foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, former chief of the border guards Md Mainul Islam, BM Muzammel Huq MP of the Awami League, CPB Assistant General Secretary Kazi Sazzad Zahir, and Shoeb Chowdhury, Chairman, Editorial Board of The Asian Age, among others, spoke at the programme.