No plan to change national anthem of Bangladesh: Religious advisor

Dhaka, Sep 7 (IANS) Abul Fayez Muhammad Khalid Hossain, the Advisor for Religious Affairs in the interim government, said on Saturday that there are no plans to change the national anthem of Bangladesh.

"The interim government will not do anything to create controversy, we want to build a beautiful Bangladesh with everyone's support," Hossain was quoted as saying by the local media after visiting the Islamic Foundation in Rajshahi on the northern banks of the river Padma.

With attacks on minorities - especially those targetting the Hindu community in Bangladesh - still continuing, Hossain assured that people who are found guilty of committing such "heinous acts" will be punished by the interim regime led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.

"Those who attack places of worship are enemies of humanity. They are criminals, and they will be prosecuted under existing laws," the advisor said.

He also announced that during the forthcoming Durga Puja celebrations, local citizens, along with madrasa students, will be involved in guarding the temples to prevent any kind of attack or sabotage.

"Madrasa students were never involved in terrorism, and that was propaganda and conspiracy by the previous government," country's leading daily The Daily Star quoted Hossain as saying on Saturday.

"The adviser further said, after the change of government, just as there have been attacks on the homes of some Hindu community people, there have also been attacks on the homes of Muslims. There is no scope to view this differently. This government is a government for everyone, committed to ensuring everyone's security," the religious advisor said according to the newspaper.

Last month, in an exclusive interview with IANS, Hossain had called India as Bangladesh's "best neighbour" - which had helped the country "immensely" in gaining independence - and insisted that "work has begun" to take strict action against criminals involved in several incidents of violence and vandalism against the minority communities, especially Hindus, since former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation on August 5.

"India is our neighbouring country and we want to maintain peace and tranquility in our country with the goodwill of India," Hossain told IANS as the interim government received massive flak from all corners for failing to provide security to the minorities, majorly Hindus, in the country.

"We got our country back after great efforts and people from all religions sacrificed and shed their blood in the movement during Bangladesh's liberation. We cannot let it go to waste. It is a secular country and we have to nurture this spirit and ensure communal harmony in Bangladesh. We are taking full measures and there is no communal violence now although there could be some isolated incidents," he stated.

However, despite the assurances given by the Yunus government, attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are being reported from across the country daily as radical Islamist groups continue to spread their ideology.

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