Religious rights of all to be protected: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the aim of her government is to build Bangladesh with non-communal spirit where the religious rights of all will be protected.

"By ensuring the equal rights of all religions, we all with our united efforts will construct our beloved motherland as a hunger- and poverty-free country. We're running the government keeping that in our mind,"she said.

The Prime Minister said this while visiting Dhakeswari National Templeon the occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindu community.

She said, "The government wants to build the country in a way where there will be no poor, no homeless, no one will go hungry; everyone will get the medial services and education-everyone will lead a beautiful life."

Sheikh Hasina said everyone will perform their religious rituals independently and properly with dignity and festivity.

"I want all people irrespective of their religions and castes to perform their religious rituals equally and the country will be built with the Liberation War spirit," she said.

The Prime Minister said the government always demonstrated a strong stance against terrorism, anarchy and militancy. "We declared a zero tolerance policy against these menaces," she said.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Mohammad Sayeed Khokan,State Minister for Youth and Sports Dr Biren Shikdar,President ofBangladesh Puja Udjapon ParishadMilon Kanti Dutta and General Secretary Nirmol Kumar Chatterjee,Mohanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee President Shailondya Nath Majumder andGeneral Secretary Advocate Kishore Ranjan Mandol also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad and Mohanagar Sarbojonin Puja Committee greeted the Prime Minister by presenting her with bouquets at Dhakeswari National Temple.