Country belongs to people of all religions, ethnicities

The army is committed to maintaining peace and harmony in Chattogram Hill Tracts and the rest of the country, Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman said yesterday.

Bangladesh belongs to people of all religions and ethnicities, he said.

"We want a peaceful and orderly country. We do not want conflict or hatred here. Whatever it takes to uphold peace in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, we are ready to do it," he said at an event at the International Buddhist Monastery in the capital's Merul Badda, where Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus laid the foundation stone of a building titled Sampriti Bhaban.

Waker said, "Bangladesh is a land of peace and unity. For thousands of years, people of all religions, castes, and communities have lived here together in peace. Today's event reflects that spirit. It is not just the foundation of a building -- it is a gathering of harmony."

The Sampriti Bhaban will cost approximately Tk 7.5 crore, and the army will do the construction work, he said.

Recalling his early career spent in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Waker said, "I spent a large part of my youth working closely with the Buddhist community there. I attended many 'Kothin Chibor Dan' ceremonies and was actively involved in supporting them."

Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, CHT Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma, Religious Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik; Bangladesh Buddhist Federation Advisory Council Acting Chairman Prof Sukomal Barua, and International Buddhist Monastery Deputy Chief Bhikkhu Sunandapriya also spoke.

Bangladesh Buddhist Federation arranged the programme with Venerable Dharmapriya Mahathera, the deputy chief patriarch of Bangladesh Buddhist Sangha Council, in the chair.