Speaking at an exchange meeting with representatives from the Hindu and Buddhist communities at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Secretariat on Wednesday (October 7, 2026), the Prime Minister emphasized that his administration aims to ensure equal dignity and protection for all citizens. During the interaction, leaders of the Hindu community expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for declaring a 5-day continuous public holiday from October 20 to October 24 for Sharadiya Durga Puja. Addressing their grievances, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman extended festival greetings for Durga Puja and the upcoming Kathin Chibar Dan, allocating BDT 5 crore to the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust (exceeding their BDT 4 crore request) and BDT 3 crore to the Buddhist Religious Welfare Trust (exceeding their BDT 2 crore request). The funds will be disbursed directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts via district administrations and welfare trusts. Senior government officials, MPs, and community leaders—including Prime Minister's Special Assistant Bijon Kanti Sarkar, MP Nipun Roy Chowdhury, MP Suborna Thakur Shikder, and Hindu Religious Welfare Trust Vice Chairman Tapan Chandra Majumder—were present at the meeting.