Ali Riaz, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser, said the proposed July Charter will enshrine every citizen’s religious rights and establish a society grounded in equality, human dignity and social justice, where the state does not differentiate between individuals on the basis of faith. “This charter guarantees equal rights for all as citizens,” he told a community outreach meeting on Tuesday at the National Museum auditorium.
Addressing members of the Sanatan (Hindu) community as part of a referendum campaign and voter-mobilization effort, Riaz said Bangladesh has traversed a “blood-stained path” in pursuit of a democratic and humane homeland and “must not squander the golden opportunity” now before it.
Arguing that “a state crushed by fascist repression” requires systemic change, he urged voters to say ‘Yes’ in the upcoming referendum to launch broad reforms envisioned under the July Charter.
The meeting was chaired by Tapon Chandra Majumdar, chairman of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust. Md. Kamal Uddin, secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and Debendra Oraon, secretary of the Trust, also addressed the gathering.