Bangladesh Government follows Catholic Example to Promote Harmony

(July 26, 2011) The Bangladesh government is starting to follow the Catholic Church’s example by pursuing inter-religious dialogue to counter extremism and foster peace and solidarity among religious communities.
In what is the government’s first attempt at promoting inter-religious dialogue, the organized a special discussion among 91 religious leaders and intellectuals in , in the northwest of the country on July 24. The event, sponsored by the ministry of religious affairs was held at the Imam training institute in the town.
“Spiritual and religious practices are activities that acknowledge human dignity. This concept has to be spread around the country to ensure a peaceful existence for majority and minority religious communities. We should uphold our own religion and respect the faith and religious lives of others,” Mamun Mian, a Muslim cleric, told the gathering.
Dr. Balram Roy, a Hindu and a university professor, said government sponsorship of the gathering was a step in the right direction and praised Catholic efforts in trying to forge inter-religious peace. “It was the Caritas Dinajpur regional office that started inter-faith dialogue in this region three years back and it is now good to see the government is interested in following this model,” Roy said.
Father George Anthony Gomes, from the Dinajpur diocesan Commission for Interreligious Dialogue and Ecumenism, said he was really happy to see Church dialogue efforts being lauded and imitated.