DHAKA, Nov 18, 2019 (BSS) – President M Abdul Hamid today urged members
of Buddhists Religious Welfare Trust to appropriately play their role in
further strengthening country’s existing communal harmony.
The head of the state gave the directive when a 10-member delegation of
the Buddhists Welfare Trust paid a courtesy call on the President at
Bangabhaban here this evening.
“No religion supports any sorts of fanaticism, militancy and terrorism .
. . You (members of trustee board) have to work more to strengthen the
existing communal harmony across the country,” President’s Press Secretary
Joynal Abedin quoted him as saying.
Bangladesh is an instance of a country, where communal harmony has been
prevailing for long, he said, adding people of all religious communities are
living here in a congenial and peaceful atmosphere.
Referring to his recent visit to Nepal, President Hamid said Nepal
government has allocated a plot of land at Lumbini in Nepal where Bangladesh
will construct a Buddhist temple.
The trustee members also apprised the President of the work-plan,
including design of the temple and other necessary papers, during the
meeting.
Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of
Province No. 5 in Nepal. It has a number of older temples, including the
Mayadevi Temple, and various new temples, funded by Buddhist organisations
from various countries.
Of the temples, some have been completed and some are still under
construction.
The members of the Board of Trustee also informed the President about
their overall activities of the Buddhist community inside the country as well
as abroad.
They said the Buddhists community people will peregrinate abroad under
the auspices of the trust for the first time this year.
Vice Chairman of the trust Supta Voshon Barua, Secretary to the
Religious Affairs Ministry M Anisur Rahman, President’s Secretary Sampad
Barua and Trustee Basonti Chakma, MP, among others, were present.