Durga puja: Bangladesh Prez, PM send greetings

NEW DELHI: President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have conveyed their greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja.

Separate messages have been issued on this regard, sources confirmed.

In his message, President Abdul Hamid said, Religions are of communities, but festivals are universal.

Durga Puja is the major religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community. Hindus worship Durga to establish peace in the society through the elimination of demons, evil forces and injustice."

"We all hope that the Sharadiya Durgotsab would strengthen the bonds of friendship and fraternity among the religious communities," the president went on to add. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in another message said that the Sharadiya Durgotsab is indeed a festival of all communities.

"The main theme of Durga Puja is the victory of good over evil and prayer for truth and beauty," she added.

"Our constitution ensures equal rights of the people of all faiths, regardless of colour, creed or gender," she went on to add.

The PM also hoped that the thousand-year-old bond of communal harmony of Bangalis would be retained to create a "Sonar Bangla," which was the dream of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.