The government has taken stringent security measures in and around 32, 666 puja mandaps across the country on the occasion of the Sharadiya Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community.
The Hindu community of the country is poised to celebrate the puja. Preparations are afoot for the annual five-day festival at temples and makeshift puja mandaps across the country to welcome Goddess Durga.
The festival is set to begin on Wednesday with performing various religious rituals of Maha Shashthi as it will come to an end on October 13, marking Bijoya Dashami with immersion of idols in nearby rivers or ponds.
According to the government data, Durga Puja will be celebrated in 32, 666 temples and mandaps (pavilions) across the country this year.
The home ministry has already issued a set of directives for the field administration and law enforcement agencies to ensure peaceful celebration of the puja maintaining law and order situation in the country.
Decision has been taken to deploy members of police, Border Guard Bangladesh, Ansar and VDP, Rapid Action Battalion and other forces for guaranteeing round-the-clock security in the puja pavilions during the festival, security sources said.
Directives have been given from the top level of the law enforcement agencies to maintain highest alert during the puja as law enforcers are carrying out intelligence surveillance in plain clothes in the field level.
Cyberspace monitoring is also underway to prevent spreading of any rumour. However, SWAT, bomb disposal unit, RAB helicopters and striking force will be kept ready all the times to deal with any untoward situation.
Archways and metal detectors will be installed at entrances in key temples and makeshift puja pavilions. If required, dog squad will be on the duty in the entire area.
Every unit of the law enforcement agencies will ensure security in a coordinated way.
Directives have been given to the members of the law enforcement agencies to stay prepared to take required measures immediately on the basis of intelligence information.
Besides, own volunteer of respective temples and puja mandaps will remain vigilant and they have been asked to seek help from the law enforcement agencies immediately if any inconsistency is found.
According to the police, there is no threat or information of the possible attack centring the puja.
Bangladesh Police gave safety suggestions to devotees that included separate entrances and exit points should be arranged for male and female visitors at each puja pavilion, one should refrain from entering the puja pavilions with any bag and packets, CCTV cameras and fire extinguishers should be installed in the puja pavilions.
Archway gates should be installed in important temples and puja pavilions. Volunteers should be deployed for the security. Volunteers are required to be provided with separate clothing, visible identity cards and armed bands with writing 鈥榁olunteer鈥�.
On the occasion of Durga Puja, BGB members are patrolling in puja pavilions in the bordering areas to maintain law and order and increase public confidence.
There are 39 puja pavilions located within 8km of the border in Debhata, Kaliganj and Shyamnagar upazilas of Satkhira district. These areas are under Nildumur Battalion (17 BGB).
BGB members also held necessary view-exchange meetings with the presidents of temples and puja mandaps, Hindu community members and the leading and distinguished persons of the concerned areas.
The recce team, as well, monitored the CCTV cameras, generators and enquired about sufficient volunteers in the puja mandaps and visited the place designated for setting up the base camp of BGB.
Over two lakh members of Ansar and VDP will be deployed to ensure security during the puja festival.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad president Basudeb Dhar said that the government was very sincere to ensure stringent security during the puja.
鈥楢part from the law enforcement agencies, temple authority will ensure security through own volunteers at each puja pavilion,鈥� he said.
RAB legal and media wing director lieutenant colonel Munim Ferdous said that likewise every year, RAB members had taken special security measures at over 32,000 pavilions across the country for Durga Puja.