Dhaka: A delegation of Buddhist religious leaders today exchanged greetings with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the occasion of ‘Probarona Purnima’, a religious festival of the community. They met the Chief Adviser at the State Guest House Jamuna.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the Buddhist leaders highlighted the significance of ‘Probarona Purnima’ and extended an invitation to Professor Yunus to visit their ‘Vihara’ (monastery). They expressed their gratitude to the Chief Adviser for allocating land for the cremation of Buddhists at Uttara in the city. The leaders emphasized that after informing the interim government, the land for the cremation ground was allocated within ten days, describing this as unprecedented.
Previously, when a Buddhist individual died in Dhaka, they had to travel to Chittagong for funeral rites. The leaders noted that now there is a place in the capital for conducting these rites. They also discussed the preparations for this year’s ‘Kathin Chibor Dan’, a significant Buddhist festival.
In their meeting, the Buddhist leaders conveyed their special gratitude to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs for their ongoing cooperation. They also presented various demands to Professor Yunus, which included government arrangements for pilgrimages and the establishment of a government-funded center for knowledge practice named after the Buddhist scholar Atish Dipankar.
The delegation included prominent figures such as the Principal of Dharmarajika Buddhist Mahavihar Buddhapriya Mahathera and General Secretary of the Bangladesh Buddhist Federation Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, among others. Religious Affairs Adviser Dr. AFM Khalid Hossain and Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Adviser Supradip Chakma were also present at the event.