Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon today said it is essential to find a universal humanist philosophy to achieve lasting global peace and address the ongoing crises facing the world.
“To achieve the desired peace, among all the areas we need to work on, the biggest task is to find a universal humanistic philosophical space,” he said while addressing the 2nd International Conference on ‘Philosophy for Peace’ as the chief guest at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) auditorium of Dhaka University (DU).
The Bangladesh Philosophical Society (BPS), in collaboration with Mohammadi Kafela, organized the conference.
Acknowledging his background as a political activist rather than a philosopher, Swapon emphasized that philosophy is the key component that sets human beings apart from other living creatures.
“Unless a person stands upon a philosophical foundation, they cannot truly preserve their humanity, even if they possess a human body and mind,” the minister observed.
“History shows that the moment humans secured food and moved past basic survival, they began asking fundamental questions about their origin and destiny-marking the true journey of philosophy.”
“Traditional philosophies, no matter how noble, do not possess universal acceptance. Unless thinkers can build a common philosophical platform, the crisis of peace currently facing the world cannot be resolved,” Swapon added, urging intellectuals to help shape a unified, human-centric worldview.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof A B M Obaidul Islam formally inaugurated the event.
In his inaugural speech, Prof. Obaidul Islam stated that life and philosophy are synonymous, describing philosophy as a profound analysis of life essential for building a knowledge-based society.
“In this turbulent world, human and moral values are steadily declining despite unimaginable progress. The practice of philosophy is indispensable to foster moral consciousness and build a humane global society,” the VC said, expressing optimism that participating philosophers and Sufi scholars would offer constructive guidelines for worldwide peace-building.
State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam, Bangladesh Open University Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, National University Vice-Chancellor Prof S M Amanullah, and Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan were also present, among others, at the conference.
