Dhaka, June 8, 2024 – Under the initiative of Hezbut Tawheed, a non-political movement dedicated to the welfare of humanity, a significant discussion meeting was held at the National Press Club to address religious extremism, sectarianism, and bigotry. The event, titled “Essence of all religions – humanity above all,” brought together leaders and intellectuals from various religious communities.
The discussion was chaired by Hossain Mohammad Salim, the supreme leader of Hezbut Tawheed. In his opening remarks, Salim attributed the historical communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims to the ‘divide and rule’ strategy employed by British colonialists. He called for unity among all religious followers based on eternal justice and truth, fostering mutual respect and brotherhood to break down communal barriers.
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The event was conducted by Rufaidah Panni, the central women’s affairs secretary of Hezbut Tawheed and editor of the Daily Desherpotro. Distinguished speakers included Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood, Chairman of Bangladesh Satellite Company Ltd; Advocate Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad; Vasudev Dhar, President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad; Professor Jinabodhi Bhikkhu from the Pali Department of Chittagong University; Monindra Kumar Nath, Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad; Professors Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, Sukomal Barua, and Chandranath Poddar from Dhaka University; William Praloy Samaddar Bappi, Trustee of the Christian Religious Welfare Trust; Ms. Padmavati Devi, Joint General Secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.
The speakers unanimously agreed on the need to combat religious extremism by promoting the core human values shared across different faiths. Dr. Shahjahan Mahmood highlighted the progressive nature of contemporary thought, emphasizing that communal ideologies are becoming obsolete. Vasudev Dhar argued for humanity as the central tenet of all religions, while Gnanavadhi Bhikkhu and Sukomal Barua stressed the shared essence of religious teachings and the importance of recognizing our common human identity.
The event was well-attended by media personalities and concluded with a collective commitment to work against extremism, sectarianism, and bigotry through unity and shared human values.