One of the most sacred days in the entirety of the Bengali calendar, Durga Puja finally culminates today after five days of colourful festivities.
Much like the Muslim holy days of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha, Durga Puja is a day meant for all regardless of creed or ethnicity, a day when all cultures across Bangladesh come together and celebrate our nation’s inherent diversity -- further testament to how our identity is primarily defined by the fact that we call this great country our home.
While Bangladesh has, even in the recent past, witnessed troubling instances of communal unrest and even violence, we are still head and shoulders above even some of our most immediate neighbours when it comes to communal harmony.
Which is why we must take such holy days as opportunities to truly internalize the values which have defined our nation since its inception, and continue to do so to this day: Secularism, equality, and democracy.
Even after five decades, these are the values which reside within our very national identity.
It is only through understanding everything that makes us different and everything that makes us the same that we can truly accomplish all that we want as a nation
A blessed Durga Puja to all our readers.
