Play store
The government has taken comprehensive preparations to ensure the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja is celebrated peacefully and safely, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Wednesday.
He said 24-hour monitoring would be maintained from police headquarters to divisional and district levels to ensure security at puja mandaps. An app operated by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) will also be used to quickly report any untoward incident.
The minister made the remarks while speaking to reporters after a meeting with representatives of relevant ministries and departments, senior law enforcement officials and leaders of Hindu organisations.
He said responsibilities had been assigned at the upazila, district, divisional and central levels and preparations had been discussed in detail.
Salahuddin said the government had continued taking measures to maintain religious and social harmony since assuming office.
The minister said an NTMC app previously used during elections would also be used during Durga Puja. Necessary training would be provided at the district level so that any untoward incident could be reported quickly through the app.
A 24-hour monitoring team will remain at police headquarters, while monitoring arrangements will also be in place at divisional and district levels.
Authorities have instructed each puja mandap to submit the names and phone numbers of its volunteers to the relevant police station. After verification, the volunteers will be provided with identification cards.
The relevant ministry has also been asked to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply at puja venues. Generators and alternative lighting arrangements will have to be kept ready in case of power outages.
The Home Minister said the Durga Puja holiday had been extended by another day this year, bringing the official holiday period to three days. Combined with the Friday-Saturday weekly holidays, this will result in a five-day break.
Under the government’s decision, October 20 and 21 are holidays for Maha Navami and Bijoya Dashami, respectively, while October 22 has been declared an additional holiday by executive order. The following two days, October 23 and 24, are weekly holidays.
As a result, government offices will remain closed for five consecutive days from October 20 to 24. The five-day holiday has also been reported by multiple Bangladeshi news outlets.
Asked whether any puja mandap had been identified as particularly vulnerable, Salahuddin said no such information had been received so far.
He said authorities were maintaining constant communication and would take immediate measures if any mandap was found to be at risk.
Regarding reports of vandalism of idols in some areas, he said he had not received any confirmed information at the time. If reports circulating on social media were found to be accurate, police would verify them and take necessary action.
Responding to questions about extortion, terrorism and land grabbing, the minister said police regularly prepare and update lists of extortionists, terrorists, armed criminals and drug traders and conduct operations against them.
“We are working impartially. Regardless of political identity, a criminal is being treated as a criminal,” he said.
Regarding the attack, vandalism and looting at the Radda MCH-FP Centre in Mirpur, he said a police officer had been withdrawn immediately after preliminary evidence of negligence of duty was found and departmental action had been initiated.
He added that the political identity of anyone arrested in the incident would not be taken into consideration and action would be taken against anyone found involved in the investigation.
