Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon has said the philosophy of Bangladeshi nationalism introduced by statesman Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman is the country’s only inclusive and widely acceptable national identity which embraces people of all languages, religions, cultures and ethnic communities.
“In the concept of modern nationalism, no particular tribe, language, race or religion is the sole determinant of national identity. Rather, this modern national identity has evolved by embracing the diversity of a territory, common interests and the aspiration to build a shared future,” he said.
The minister made the remarks at a seminar titled “Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Bangladeshi Nationalism” held today at the central auditorium of Jagannath University (JnU).
The JnU chapter of the University Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh (UTAB) organised the seminar.
Referring to the historical context, he said although Pakistan was established in the Indian subcontinent on the basis of religion, but religion alone could not keep a diverse state united, which ultimately led to the historic Language Movement of 1952 and the Liberation War of 1971.
He said the bravery, declaration of independence and leadership of Shaheed Ziaur Rahman during the Great War of Liberation are proven historical facts.
However, even after independence, an identity crisis persisted as a language-based identity alone was not equally acceptable to all communities of the country, he noted, saying in that context Shaheed Zia presented the philosophy of citizen-based ‘Bangladeshi nationalism’.
