Hindu community in Bangladesh begins Durga Puja festivities amid tight security

Representational Image. File Pic

Ahead of the ongoing Durga Puja festival, the Hindu community in Bangladesh has completed all preparations to celebrate the country's largest Hindu festival.

However, the community remains on high alert due to security concerns.

The festivities will be held for five days, starting Sunday.

Beautifully decorated idols of Goddess Durga have been installed in the worship halls. This year, 33,355 pujas are being held across Bangladesh, which is about 1,000 more than last year, news agency ANI reported, quoting leaders of the community.

Jayanta Kumar Deb, the president of the Metropolitan Public Puja Committee in Dhaka, said, "Amidst the preparations for Durga Puja, there have been incidents of attacks on Durga idols and temples in several districts. The districts are Kustia, Chittagong, Kurigram, Sathkhira, Jhenidaha, Netrakona, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Jamalpur, Natore, Gazipur, Manikgonj, and Chapainawabgonj."

He added that law enforcement agencies have taken quick action. "Many of the miscreants have been detained. We don't want attacks during the puja," he said.

While urging people to restore peace in the country, Deb stated, "The violence must be brought to an end not only through the action of law enforcement but also through the enlightened consciousness of the country and social resistance."

"It is not enough to think about security for five days of Durga Puja. If we want to build an anti-discrimination Bangladesh, we have to think about security for 365 days. We have to develop a non-communal consciousness. We want to create a culture of judging the miscreants," Deb added.

The Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council has issued 22-point directions to Durga Puja organisers around the country on how to work with authorities and maintain festival security, ANI reported.

The council also urged that false and spurious harassment cases against religious and ethnic minority leaders, as well as innocent people around the country, be dropped prior to the puja.

Speaking to the media, Bashudeb Dhar, president of the National Puja Celebration Council, said, "Last year, the situation was created after the incidents of 5th August (student-led uprising against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina). Some temples as well as some idols were vandalised."

"But the government took action against the miscreants. This year also, 11 districts experienced vandalism. We had a meeting with the home adviser and other advisers and top security officials. They have assured us of adequate safety and security measures," he added.

The Dhakeshwari temple, dedicated to the Goddess of Dhaka, is the national Hindu temple in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Some scholars and researchers say Dhaka was named after Goddess Dhakeshwari.

(With inputs from ANI)