Dhaka, Bangladesh - The second International Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue was held at the Dhaka University in Bangladesh (the second most populous Muslim nation) on Nov. 27-29, 2010. The program was jointly organized by Bangladesh National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue at Dhaka University.
At the Inaugural Session with 500 attendance, the Educational Minister said that Bangladesh is always a country of religious harmony. "In the constitution of Bangladesh, equal rights for all people are ensured," he said. The State Minister for Religious Affairs also spoke, and the Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University chaired the event.
About 150 delegates including 45 foreign participants from 17 nations attended the three-day seminar, and about 30 papers were presented during different sessions. It is heartening to see that many universities and religions are taking interfaith activities very seriously.
Prof. Kazi Nurul Islam (Director of the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and an Ambassador of Peace with the UPF) and his team deserve much praise for making the whole program a significant national event.
From the UPF, Rev. Tetsuya Amano (Assistant Secretary General, UPF-Bangladesh) presented a speech about the role of religions in promoting world peace.