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Home Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury says special security measures will be in place until the end of Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival for Hindus, which began on October 9.
While visiting the Puja venue at Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on Thursday, the adviser claimed that this year’s Durga Puja will be celebrated safely and peacefully amid strict security, bdnews24.com reports.
"This time the Puja celebration will be held most safely and peacefully,” he said.
Insisting that security has been ensured nationwide at all times in addition to the puja, Jahangir said: “The interim government seems to have donated the most this year for Durga Puja – around Tk 40 million. The amount was up to Tk 30 million earlier.”
“People have said that it’s the government’s responsibility to ensure security for all the citizens 365 days of the year and we hope it will remain unchanged. Some small or isolated incidents may have occurred a little while ago, but the secretary general of the puja celebration committee told me that there was no such report about anything bad happening anywhere during the festival.”
“If you all cooperate, the people of Bangladesh will be safe for all 365 days,” he said.
“There will be special security measures until Bijoya Dashami on Sunday and after that, security will remain in place across the country.”
The adviser said other law-enforcing agencies such as the BGB, Ansar, and RAB have been deployed alongside police to ensure security this year. Members of the Army, Navy and Air Force have also been deployed as per necessity.
"I hope this year’s puja celebrations will be excellent and everyone will cooperate. Without your help, nothing is possible."
Assuring security for the puja celebration, the home adviser urged the authorities to submit accurate reports regarding any incidents.
“An eight-point list of directives for the puja has been sent to the field-level administration and security forces from the home ministry. We will ensure that the directives will be maintained during the festival.”
Jahangir also stated that arrangements have been made through the state-run National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre to get information immediately regarding any incident anywhere.