, Oct. 18 -- President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Sunday called on all to preserve Bangladesh's long-standing tradition of communal harmony, saying the central message of Durga Puja is to stand against and defeat injustice, oppression, dishonesty and persecution.

"We can say with great conviction that I do not know of anywhere else in the world where communal harmony exists as it does in Bangladesh," he said while visiting Ramna Kali Mandir in Dhaka on the occasion of Durga Puja.

The President said at a time when conflicts, violence and hatred prevail across the world, the peaceful celebration of Durga Puja by members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh stands as a shining example of communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.

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