The country is not ready yet to adopt secularism due to the historical baggage of splitting the sub-continent, social welfare minister, Enamul Haque Mostafa Shaheed, said on Tuesday.
He said that it was not easy to overcome the 'religious culture' that led to the creation of India and Pakistan by splitting the subcontinent.
The subcontinent was divided on the basis of religion, he said, responding to what an academician had told a seminar in the city on 'village based defence of human rights and the emergence of MDG villages, hosted by Brotee, an NGO.
He said that a government of the day had no option but to be tactful in dealing with the religious parties and other related issues in a country where 90 per cent citizens are Muslims.
He described the role of the civil society as 'regrettable' with regard to the recent Constitution amendment to retain the provision of state religion and non recognition of the national minorities as 'indigenous people.'
He also called the civil society's views on issues relating to oil, gas and natural resources as equally 'regrettable.'
He said that if today's seminar was on indigenous people or on oil and gas, the auditorium would be packed with civil society people.
He said that the civil
society was good only at finding faults.
He said that the civil society, which knows the flaws, should be able to provide the solutions as well.
Speaking before him, academician Hamida Hossian had said the spirit of the War of Independence taught Bangladesh to be a secular, democratic and progressive country that respects different views and faiths.
Brotee chairperson Selina Hossain said that the people in the civil society also love the country.
She said that the government and the civil society should be able to work together for betterment of the country.
Manusher Jonno Foundation executive director Shaheen Aman, Brotee chief executive Sharmeen Murshid also spoke.
Source : New Age
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