Bangladesh Church extends greetings to Hindu community on Durga Puja

Archbishop Lawrence Subrato Howlader, CSC, of Chittagong, Bangladesh, and President of the Episcopal Commission for Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue, has extended warm greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja, the most significant festival in the Hindu calendar.

In his message, the Archbishop highlighted the central theme of the celebration: “The central theme of this festival is the triumph of virtue over vice, the destruction of evil through the power of righteousness,” he said, wishing that the festival’s spirit of holiness and purity would inspire all of society.

He praised Bangladesh’s rich tradition of interreligious harmony, where people of different faiths, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian, live together as one family. At the same time, he acknowledged the continuing presence of social evils and challenges in the country. “Together with our Hindu brothers and sisters, as well as our Muslim and Buddhist brethren, we Christians pray and hope that our country may become a land of greater peace, harmony, and fraternity, where hatred, conflict, and division are completely eradicated,” the Archbishop emphasized.

On behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Commission for Interreligious Dialogue, Archbishop Howlader offered “sincere greetings and felicitations” to Hindu brothers and sisters during this sacred season, expressing the hope that Durga Puja may be celebrated not only as a religious occasion but also as “an interreligious festival of unity and joy.”

“May you receive abundant blessings and graces from the Almighty God during this sacred celebration,” the Archbishop concluded, extending warm wishes for Shubho Bijoya to the Hindu community.