No one to be left behind in building new Bangladesh: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today (16 July) pledged to build a prosperous and discrimination-free Bangladesh, saying his government wants to ensure equal rights and opportunities for all communities, including ethnic minorities. 

He made the remarks during a meeting with representatives from ethnic minority communities at the Cabinet Division conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, said PM's Deputy Press Secretary Suzauddhowla (Suzon Mahmood).

The Prime Minister described ethnic minority communities as an inseparable part of Bangladesh and said his government is committed to building a country where no community faces discrimination.

"My government and I are working to build a discrimination-free Bangladesh. We want to move forward together with everyone in building the Bangladesh people aspire to. We do not consider anyone to be separate. No community will face discrimination in Bangladesh," Suzon quoted Tarique Rahman as saying.

During the meeting, representatives from ethnic minority communities placed a number of demands before the Prime Minister, including the formation of a land commission to resolve land ownership disputes involving ethnic communities in the plains, holding a national convention for disadvantaged ethnic communities, recognising communities by their respective ethnic identities instead of using the term "ethnic minorities", constitutional recognition as indigenous peoples, establishment of a central cultural centre, an end to eviction of ethnic communities from settlements in the name of development projects or reserved forests, and access to easier loan facilities. 

Responding to the demands, the Prime Minister said the country is passing through an extremely difficult period.

"The fascist government destroyed the country's institutions and economy. About US$16 billion was siphoned off abroad every year. Had that money not been laundered, many of your problems could have been resolved," he said.

Tarique Rahman said the government is trying to address the issues in phases, giving priority to those that can be resolved immediately.

He also stressed the need for national unity, said the deputy press secretary.

"The struggle before us is much bigger. To overcome it, everyone must remain united, work together and move forward together. We have to think about how we can build a better future," the Prime Minister told the meeting.

Referring to the country's current challenges, he said he remains surprised that so many long-standing problems still persist. "These issues should have been addressed over the past 17 years. Had they been dealt with then, many of today's problems would not exist," he said.

Tarique Rahman said people had heard many stories of development in the past, but the current government is now facing the consequences of years of mismanagement while also carrying high public expectations. "We are trying to overcome this situation and rebuild the country," he said.

He also said the previous government had severely damaged the country's education and healthcare sectors, and highlighted his government's initiatives to restore them.

The Prime Minister recalled that Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman had launched the upazila health complex programme with 31-bed hospitals, while BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia later upgraded them to 50-bed facilities. 

"Now we have decided to upgrade them to 101 beds," he said.

Tarique Rahman also criticised the previous government's community healthcare centres at the union level, saying many of them remain largely inactive.

He also noted that the fiscal year 2026-27 budget increased allocations for the health sector and reduced taxes on essential medical equipment, including kidney dialysis machines and heart stents.

Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic Affairs Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Anna Minj, MP, cultural activist Sanjib Drong and representatives of 18 ethnic communities from 17 districts attended the meeting.