Dhaka: Religious Affairs Adviser Dr. AFM Khalid Hossain emphasized Bangladesh’s status as a global model of communal harmony while inaugurating the Dhaka District Workshop-2025. The event, focusing on the ‘Role of Temple-based Children and Mass Education Project in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals and Promoting Moral Education,’ was held at the Bishwa Shahithya Kendra in Bangla Motor.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Khalid Hossain acknowledged challenges in maintaining communal harmony, citing recent attacks and vandalism on temples and shrines which he described as politically motivated rather than communal. He addressed the spread of propaganda abroad concerning these incidents and stressed the importance of strengthening communal harmony in the future.
Khalid Hossain emphasized equal rights for all citizens and the need to foster an environment of morality by spreading basic religious teachings. He urged stakeholders to engage in temple-based humanitarian activities to promote moral education and harmony.
Addressing the issue of teacher salaries, Khalid assured that any increase in salaries for mosque-based education project teachers would be matched for those in the temple-based project, ensuring no discrimination.
The workshop, part of the Temple-Based Children and Mass Education Programme (Phase 6), was chaired by project director Dr. Srikanta Kumar Chanda and included speeches from Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Tapan Chandra Majumder, Secretary Debendra Nath Orao, and project deputy director Nittya Prokash.
Implemented by the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the project runs from July 2021 to December 2025 with a budget of Taka 365 crore. The workshop saw participation from 150 individuals, including teachers, district administration members, monitoring committees, students, guardians, religious representatives, and journalists. To date, workshops have been successfully conducted in 40 out of 64 districts.