Interfaith Harmony week: 1-7 February 2022

To celebrate the Interfaith Harmony Week, declared by the United Nations in 2011, week-long various programs were observed by the joint efforts of the Department of World Religions and Culture (WRC) and this interreligious harmony week was inaugurated by the honourable Vice-Chancellor of University of Dhaka, Professor Dr. Md. Akhtaruzzaman. On 2^nd February 2022, a seminar called “Pandemic in the Light of Religions: Our Responsibilities Towards Disaster Management”. The keynote speaker was Professor Dr. Mahbuba Nasrin, honorable Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Bangladesh Open University. Besides, Inter-religious Harmony Debate Festival was also arranged from 3^rd February to 6^th February 2022 by the Department of World Religions and Culture (WRC) Debating Club, University of Dhaka. In addition, Interfaith Harmony Short Story Writing Competition was held between 26/1/2022 and 7/2/2022. A Painting Competition was organized from 28/1/22 to 7/2/22. In the evening of 7^th February, Sampriti Sandhya Music was organized on Zoom platform.

13^th March 2022

On 13^th March 2022, a seminar titled “The Role of Baha’i Faith in Promoting Interfaith Harmony in the World”, held on the online Zoom platform was organized jointly by the Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (CIID) and the Department of World Religions and Cultures (WRC), University of Dhaka. In the program, the Dhaka Universities honorable Pro-Vice-Chancellor (admin) Professor Dr. Mohammad Samad was present as the chief guest, and Professor Dr. Abdul Bashir, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Dhaka, was presented as a special guest. Distinguished guests took participation in the discussion; Dr. Jabbar Aidel Khani, Interfaith Harmony: A Bah’a i Point of View, Dr. Jena Derakhshani Hamadani, Baha’i Interfaith Activities in Action, Dr. Collis Ali, The Baha’is of Bangladesh: Building of Harmonious Interfaith Society. Inaugural speech was given by the director of the centre, Dr. Fazrin Huda, and Dr. Mohammad Jahangir Alam, the chairman of World Religions and Culture, presided over the seminar.

28 June 2022

A seminar titled “Interreligious Harmony for Peaceful Coexistence” was held on 28^th June 2022 in the seminar room of WRC at Arts Building by the joint organization of the Department of World Religions and Culture (WRC) and the Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (CIID). Professor Dr. Abdul Bashir, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Dhaka, was presented as a chief guest in the program. The keynote speaker was Swami Nikhileswarananda, Adhyakhsha, Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rajkot, India. As an honorable guest Dr. Kazi Nurul Islam, the founder chairman of this department was presented. Among others who participated in the discussion were Dr. Milton Kumar Dev, Associate Professor, Department of History, University of Dhaka, and Swami Devadhyananda, Monk, Ramakrishna Math, Dhaka. Dr. Mohammad Jahangir Alam, the chairman of World Religions and Culture, offered his welcome address and Dr. Fazrin Huda, the director of the Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (CIID), presided over the seminar.