Secularism top priority for Bangladesh: Dr. Rizvi

FT ONLINE

Dhaka does not want to see any situation which might affect Bangladesh's secularism, said Dr. Gowher Rizvi, foreign affairs adviser to the prime minister.

"Our commitment to secularism is absolutely central and we do not want to see any situation where our secularism will be threatened anyway," he said today at a seminar titled "Bangladesh and India: A promising Future."

The programme was organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) and Indian High Commission in Bangladesh at Pan Pacific Shonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.

Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and BIISS Chairman Fazlul Karim also spoke.

Gowher Rizvi said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly assured that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a domestic affair for India and it will not have an impact on Bangladesh.

"We have accepted that and we have good reasons to believe that we should not worry," Rizvi said.

"We will continue to work closely with India to ensure that our secularity in society grows from strength to strength," he stressed.

He added that minorities in Bangladesh are equal citizens of this country.

"Government attaches the highest priority in the protection and welfare of our minority citizens," Gowher Rizvi said.

He reassured all that there is no way Bangladesh will look away if any minorities are affected in any possible way.

Shringla arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit in the morning and upon arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, he was received by his Bangladesh counterpart Masud Bin Momen.