Communal harmony can be ensured only if democracy is strengthened: Nahid Islam

He made these remarks as the chief guest at a discussion meeting titled "July of Harmony: Contributions of Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian Communities in the July Uprising," held on Saturday (August 1) at the DRU auditorium in the capital.

Nahid Islam said that the core spirit of the July Uprising was to build a non-discriminatory and inclusive Bangladesh. People from all religions and communities participated in that movement, and from the very beginning, it was a secular movement. He informed that at least nine members of minority communities were martyred in the uprising.

He alleged that in the past, the Awami League tried to portray itself as secular and others as communal in the name of secularism. He also accused them of using minority communities politically ahead of elections.

Nahid Islam said that people from minority communities should maintain relations with all political parties rather than confining themselves to any single party. In his words, if there is excessive involvement with one party, the responsibility for that party's actions often falls on minorities as well. Therefore, political parties should take sincere initiatives to earn the trust of minorities.

Referring to the post-July period, he said that after the uprising, madrasa students guarded various temples. Although such a situation is never desirable, the mindset of forgetting divisions and standing together during crises was evident in the July movement.

Calling upon the government, he said that the legitimate demands of Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities must be considered seriously. At the same time, he demanded impartial investigations and trials for all past incidents, including land grabbing, attacks, enforced disappearances, and killings of minorities.

Addressing minority communities, Nahid Islam said that institutional reforms are essential to ensure the rights of all. If the judiciary is independent and impartial, all citizens will benefit from it. Therefore, communal harmony can be sustainably ensured only through the establishment of a strong democracy.

Expressing concern over the current political situation, he said that signs are emerging of the old culture of suppression against opposition political forces making a comeback. According to him, national unity, implementation of reforms, effective application of the July Charter, and improvement of the law and order situation are urgent to address the country's economic and political crises.

The meeting, presided over by NCP Joint Member Secretary Pritam Das, was attended by Bhikkhu Sunandapriya Mahathero, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Buddhist Association; Father Albert Thomas Rosario, Director of St. Mary's Cathedral; NCP Political Council members Sarwar Tushar and Ali Ahsan Junayed, along with representatives from various religious and social communities as special guests.