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More than 6,000 members of the Special Response Battalion (SRB) have been deployed nationwide to ensure security during Durga Puja, with 2,457 personnel assigned to special security duties each day.
SRB Director General Additional Inspector General of Police Md Ahsan Habib Palash disclosed the information to journalists on Thursday after inspecting security arrangements at Mirpur Central Temple in Dhaka.
He said comprehensive security measures had been introduced this year to protect members of the Hindu community and ensure that the festival could be celebrated peacefully, upholding Bangladesh’s tradition of communal harmony.
More than 31,000 puja mandaps have been set up across the country for the festival.
SRB personnel have been deployed at these venues to prevent and respond to any untoward incidents.
According to Palash, the force has been implementing a special nationwide security plan from October 13 to 22, deploying personnel from 15 battalions around the clock.
Security patrols are being conducted daily using 549 pickup vehicles and 447 motorcycles to monitor key locations and roads.
Although no threat of sabotage has been reported so far, SRB dog squads and bomb disposal teams remain on standby to respond to suspicious activities or potential security threats.
The force is also using technology, including the “Sharadiya Surokkha App,” to monitor security conditions. CCTV cameras installed at puja mandaps are being regularly monitored, while the SRB cyber monitoring team is conducting round-the-clock surveillance and fact-checking on social media to curb misinformation and rumours that could disrupt the festivities.
Palash added that special measures had been taken to protect female visitors and prevent sexual harassment at puja venues.
Additional patrols will be conducted along designated routes used for transporting idols and during their immersion on Bijoya Dashami, scheduled for October 21.
Durga Puja festivities will formally begin nationwide with Maha Shashthi on Friday and conclude with idol immersion on Bijoya Dashami.
The SRB is working in coordination with other law enforcement agencies to ensure that devotees can observe the festival with religious devotion, joy and peace.