Online Desk: Information and Broadcasting Minister and Awami League (AL) Joint General Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud today said the communal evil forces try to hatch conspiracy when the election comes.

“Most of the Bangalee people are not communal. They are all aligned. For this, the communal forces couldn’t stand head high though they repeatedly tried to rise up. The evil force has been subdued by our combined efforts,” he said.

But, the minister said, it has been seen that the evil force tries to hatch conspiracies when the polls come. So, everyone should remain alert, he added.

Dr Hasan made these remarks while addressing the inaugural function of Shuvo Mahalaya at Banani Puja Mandap here this morning organised by Gulshan-Banani Sarbojanin Puja Foundation.

The information minister said, “Our first identity is that we are Bangalee. After that, the identity of religion comes. The country was created in exchange for the sacrifice of blood of the people of all faiths under the leadership of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. We had achieved independence and the flag.”

But unfortunately, it is true that the trend of communalism was brought back after 1975. The communal forces still exist in the country and they instigate communal provocations from time to time for their interests, he said.

Hasan Mahmud said the present government, in the last 15 years, tried to bring back the original spirit of the nation which was lost after 1975. A state should never have such types of laws like the ‘enemy property law’. A different law has been made to abolish it and a lot of work has been done in this way, he added.

He said the communal evil forces should be resisted to strengthen the non-communal spirit of Bangladesh based on which it was established. Today, the Pohela Baishakh has become the biggest festival in Bangladesh, he said.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina repeatedly said that ‘religion is for individuals, festivals are for all . . . religion is for individuals, state is for all’. “And we see the reflection of it in all religious festivals including Eid, Durga Puja and Prabarana Purnima, where people of all religions join the festivities,” said Dr Hasan.

The minister said the number of puja mandap has been increasing every year and the reason of the increase is that the enthusiasm and ability of the people have also shot up. “The government also stands with you,” said Hasan.

Foundation president Panna Lal Datta, general secretary Pran Krishna Ghosh and leader Santosh Sharma, among others, addressed the function while Manoj Sen Gupta conducted it.