ZCZC
BSS-17
FM-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM
Bangladesh committed to promoting religious freedom: Mahmood Ali
DHAKA, July 26, 2018 (BSS) – Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali has said
Bangladesh is committed to promoting religious freedom and communal harmony.
The Foreign Minister reiterated the commitment of Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina and her government to promoting religious freedom and communal harmony
in the society of Bangladesh when he held a meeting with US Ambassador at
Large for International Religious Freedom Samuel D Brownback at the US
Department of State in Washington, DC on Wednesday, according to a press
release received here today.
Brownback, also former Governor of Kansas and a US Senator, welcomed the
Bangladesh Foreign Minister and exchanged views on advancing religious
freedom.
He thanked Mahmood Ali for accepting the invitation of US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo to participate in the first ever Ministerial to Advance
Religious Freedom (MARF) being held from July 25 to 26 at the US Department
of State.
During the meeting, Mahmood Ali elaborated different aspects of religious
freedom being practiced in Bangladesh, and the mass celebration of Bangla New
Year, a truly secular national festival, which brings together people of all
faiths, as well as recitation from the Holy Book of all major religions at
the beginning of any national event.
He said there is a resonance of religious freedom in Bangladesh as the
US is organising the Ministerial.
Ambassador Brownback said MARF is aimed at establishing a global standard
for ensuring religious freedom regardless of countries.
He highly appreciated Bangladesh’s role in hosting 1.1 million forcibly
displaced Rohingya people from Myanmar irrespective of their faiths.
The Foreign Minister said Bangladesh and the USA along with their friends
and partners would continue to ensure and advance religious freedom for the
peoples.
BSS/PR/SAH/MRI/1530 hrs