Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Visits Dhakeshwari Temple, Promotes Unity in Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh - Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who is the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on Tuesday. During his visit, he assured the minorities in Bangladesh of their safety and security.

Prof Yunus emphasized, "Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge -- what we were able to do and not. If we fail, then criticize us." He added, "In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. That is why such issues arise. Institutional arrangements need to be fixed."

During his visit, Yunus met with representatives of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, and officials from the temple management board. He was accompanied by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul and Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain.

Yunus also urged the Hindu community to consider themselves children of the soil. He said, "You simply say that you are human, a citizen of Bangladesh, and this is your constitutional right that must be ensured. Just demand this, nothing more."

Following Yunus' visit, a significant meeting was held between representatives of the Muslim community and the Hindu minority at the temple. This gathering served as a platform for open dialogue, where both communities discussed various issues and worked towards strengthening communal harmony. Participants of the meeting expressed their mutual understanding and emphasized the importance of unity in fostering a peaceful society. They assured each other that the minority Hindu community was not in danger and that any attempts to harass or attack them would be met with legal repercussions.

Many members of the Hindu community at the temple spoke about unity. One member said, "There would be no caste difference between Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians. We are one people, one life. We all have come together in one Bangladesh. We will live together."

A priest named Romen Mandal from the temple highlighted the riots and violence against Hindus, stating, "You know, we are minorities. We don't understand why this is happening to us. Everyone says that they are with us. But to date, no one has ever thought about crime."

Prof Muhammad Yunus's outreach could be seen as an effort to calm frayed nerves in the minority community. Recently, several Hindu groups protested the violence against their community, with protests reported from Bangladesh and cities like Toronto and London.