IN A world increasingly fractured by dogma and polarisation, the observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the forces that bind humanity together. For Bangladesh, this United Nations initiative is not an imported idea but a recognition of lived traditions that stretch back centuries. This deltaic land, shaped by migration, trade, and spiritual plurality, offers a distinctive perspective on how religious diversity can strengthen social stability and contribute to national progress.
Observed annually during the first week of February, World Interfaith Harmony Week was established by a UN resolution adopted in 2010. Its guiding principle — ‘Love of the Good and Love of the Neighbour’ — resonates deeply with Bengal’s spiritual heritage. Long before it was articulated in diplomatic language, this ethic shaped everyday life in the region, informing how communities lived, worshipped and resolved conflict.
In Bangladesh, interfaith harmony is not confined to ceremonial gestures or official statements. It is embedded in the cultural fabric of society — expressed in folk traditions, practised in village courtyards and sustained within the crowded rhythms of urban life. Observing this week, therefore, should prompt a deeper question: how can Bangladesh draw upon this inheritance of coexistence to strengthen governance, reinforce social cohesion, and safeguard lasting peace?
Cultural mandate
BANGLADESHI identity is rooted in syncretism, where humanity has often taken precedence over ritual boundaries. Long before the United Nations formalised this observance, Bengal’s mystic minstrels, the Bauls, were articulating a philosophy of universal belonging.
Lalon Fakir’s timeless question, ‘Shob loke koy Lalon ki jat shongshare?’ — to which caste does Lalon belong — challenged rigid divisions of creed and hierarchy. His belief that the divine resides within the human being (manush bhajle sonar manush hobi) echoes the very spirit of WIHW’s call to moral goodness.
Similarly, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Bangladesh’s national poet, envisioned unity as a moral imperative. His image of Hindus and Muslims as ‘two flowers on the same stem’ remains a powerful reminder that coexistence is not compromise but mutual survival. Rabindranath Tagore’s aspiration for a world free from ‘narrow domestic walls’ further reinforces this ethical imagination. Together, these thinkers provide the moral foundation upon which institutions and policies must rest.
Harmony across lived realities
THE practice of interfaith harmony takes different forms across Bangladesh, yet its essence remains consistent.
In rural Bangladesh, the uthan — the shared courtyard — symbolises collective life. Religious boundaries often soften during festivals and crises. Eid sweets are exchanged during Durga Puja; neighbours come together during Nobanno. When floods or cyclones strike, the water makes no distinction between faiths, and neither do rescue efforts. This instinctive solidarity reflects the most authentic expression of ‘love of neighbour’.
In peri-urban and industrial zones around Dhaka and Chattogram, interfaith harmony assumes a different significance. These areas are shaped by migration, factory labour and economic pressure. Workers from diverse backgrounds share production lines and living spaces. Here, tolerance is essential not only for social peace but for economic stability. Without it, rapid urbanisation risks fragmenting communities rather than strengthening them.
In cities, where life is often fast-paced and isolating, interfaith dialogue becomes critical to good governance. Urban spaces are especially vulnerable to divisive narratives and extremist messaging. Coordinated engagement among religious leaders can counter misinformation and reinforce shared civic values. When imams, priests and monks collectively advocate for social responsibility — whether cleanliness, traffic discipline, or anti-corruption — their moral authority carries a weight that law enforcement alone cannot.
Bangladeshi signature
At the heart of Bangladesh’s interpretation of interfaith harmony lies mehman-nawazi—hospitality. This ethic extends beyond religious affiliation to the stranger and the displaced. The country’s response to the Rohingya refugee crisis stands as a stark example. Despite limited resources, Bangladesh opened its borders to over a million refugees, driven by humanitarian impulse rather than religious calculation. This response reflected an ingrained moral reflex, not a policy slogan.
Harmony when world under strain
RECENT UN themes for this week have focused on pandemic recovery and global crisis — contexts that resonate strongly with Bangladesh’s present challenges, from climate vulnerability to economic transition. In this environment, harmony must move beyond symbolism.
Faith-based organisations need better coordination in disaster response to avoid duplication and gaps. Educational curricula should integrate the ethical teachings of figures like Lalon, Nazrul and Tagore to foster resilience against intolerance from an early age. Above all, peace must be recognised as a precondition for development. Protecting minority rights and religious freedom is not only a moral obligation but a signal of stability to the wider world.
As World Interfaith Harmony Week is observed, Bangladesh does not need to search far for inspiration. From the Sufi shrines of Sylhet to the Buddhist temples of the Hill Tracts and the churches of Barishal, the message of coexistence is already written into the landscape.
Reviving the spirit of the Baul — who finds the Creator in creation — offers more than cultural nostalgia. It provides a framework for modern governance grounded in dignity, solidarity and shared responsibility. By anchoring contemporary institutions in these enduring values, Bangladesh can demonstrate how ‘love of God and love of neighbour’ remains a practical foundation for a peaceful and resilient society.
Manik Eshak Biswas is a social development professional.
