Students of Dhaka University during Mahalaya in Durga Puja festivities in 2024. (File photo)
Meanwhile, another BPUP member said that desecration of idols were reported from at least 11 districts last year. Earlier, home minister Ahmed had said: “No security risks have been reported regarding Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh so far.
Basudeb Dhar, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP), the country’s prominent non-political, social and religious organisation representing the community, told TOI from Dhaka on Friday that they were not experiencing the same “sense of fear” which had clouded their festivities the past two years. Law enforcement agencies told us that their personnel will be deployed near the pandals, but organising committees should also have their volunteers to maintain a vigil,” he said, requesting anonymity. Having said that, the law enforcement agencies will be on high alert with quick response protocols in place…”
Dhar attended a high-level meeting chaired by home minister Salahuddin Ahmed on the security arrangements for Durga Puja, a few days ago. He also informed that govt’s Hindu Religious Welfare Trust had increased the grant for puja celebrations to Rs 5cr this year, against the previous year’s grant of Rs 4cr. “This time, there’ve been four incidents so far — in Sylhet, Rajbari, Panchagarh and Tangail districts. And the govt also promptly took necessary legal measures…