Religious Affairs Adviser Dr. A F M Khalid Hossain. File Photo

DHAKA, April 13, 2025 (BSS) - Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain today warned that the government would resist with an iron hand all plots of destroying the country's communal harmony.
 
"If perpetrators want to destroy the country's communal harmony, the state will handle them with an iron hand," he told a Sampriti assembly here.
 
Bangladesh Buddhist Federation arranged the function at International Buddhist Monastery in the capital.
 
Speaking as a special guest, Khalid said Bangladesh is a country of cultural and religious diversity where the people of this land have been maintaining the communal harmony since time immemorial.
 
About the interim government's measures to promote communal harmony in the country, he said the government is going to construct a building spending Taka 68 crore at Lumbini, a sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal, considered the birthplace of Gautama Buddha.
 
The works of the building will begin soon so that Bangladeshi Buddhist pilgrims can stay there during their pilgrimage in Lumbini, he said.

Mentioning that he will join the events of Buddhist in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong Hill Tracts soon, the religious affairs adviser said the government has allocated 23 katha of land in the city's Uttara for crematory of Buddhist people.

Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus also spoke at the meeting as the chief guest.

Besides, Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma; Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman; AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, Secretary, Ministry of Religious Affairs; Professor Dr Sukomal Barua, Acting Chairman, Advisory Council, Bangladesh Buddhist Federation; and Ven. Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, Deputy Chief, International Buddhist Monastery; addressed the event with Venerable Dharmapriya Mahathera, Deputy Chief Patriarch of Bangladesh Buddhist Sangha Council, in the chair.
 
Chiefs of Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air force and diplomats, among others, were present.