Dhaka: Asking all to stand by Rohingyas, President Abdul Hamid on Wednesday stressed the need for putting constant pressure on the Myanmar government to force it to repatriate their displaced people from Bangladesh.

"We must stand by them (Rohongyas) and extend the hands of cooperation to them in their bad time," he said while addressing a function at Ramakrishna Mission in the capital on the occasion of Durga Puja.

The President said millions of Rohingya people took shelter in Bangladesh after they faced persecution in the Rakhine State of Myanmar while many of them are the members of the Hindu community.

"We've to show sympathy to them (Rohingyas)...all national and international organisations should come forward to ensure their safe repatriation to their homeland and their rights to citizenship," he said.

Terming Durga Puja a 'universal festival' of Bangladesh, Hamid said many Hindus cannot celebrate their largest religious festival, Durga Puja, this year in haor and flood-hit areas of the country as they suffered huge losses in recent floods.

Mentioning the traditional cultural harmony of the country's people, he said Bangladesh is a land of communal and inter-religious harmony where all religious festivals are celebrated with festivities.

The nation must keep free from the unruly force of religious or social divide for the welfare of the country and its people, said the President said adding that all should contribute to advancing the country towards progress, shunning communalism, religious militancy and intolerance and fundamentalism.

He said the government is trying its best to remove militancy and terrorism in the country and it has already got a success in this regard.

Earlier in the day, President Hamid also visited Dhakeshwari National Temple to observe Durga Puja. He also spoke at a function there.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Dr Biren Sikder, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Syeed Khokan, Hazi Selim, MP and secretaries concerned to the President accompanied the President during his visit.