Durga Puja or the “Sharodiya Durgotsab”, the biggest religious festival of the Bengali Hindus begins today across the country as well as all over the world. However, the formalities of the puja festival started since Thursday evening through the bodhan (invitation to the goddess Durga). All-out preparations have already been completed to hold the five-day long Durga Puja with due religious fervor and enthusiasm. Ahead of the festival, making of idols of devi Durga and others have been completed. All the temples and puja mandaps have been decorated with colourful lighting system. Drum beat, conch and bell sound gave the puja premises a festive mood.
On the occasion of the Durga Puja, shopping malls and markets around the country, including the capital, became overcrowded with devotees before the festival. As part of the five-day long festival, the Maha Saptami puja will be performed on October 5, Maha Ashtami on October 6, Maha Navami on October 7 and the festival will end with the immersion of the idols of the Goddess on Bijoya Dashami on October 8.
According to the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP), Durga Puja will be celebrated in 31,398 permanent and temporary puja mandaps across the country this year. The number of puja mandaps has increased by 483 this year. Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam on Thursday said they do not have any information regarding any threat during Durga Puja. He made the statement after inspecting the security management at Dhakeshwari Temple of capital Dhaka.
The DMP commissioner said: "Police are fully prepared to tackle any kind of violence during puja. We do not have any information about any threats during this festival." He said, “Recently, police were targeted in the five bomb attacks in Dhaka, but there is nothing to be worried because of that. We were able to capture the culprits involved with those attacks.”
He further added, "Everyone and everything is under our surveillance." The DMP chief said, “Initially, we sensed the possibility of a militant attack, but the situation is under our control.” Md Shafiqul Islam further said a separate force will be deployed to ensure security at all puja mandaps and everything will be monitored through police control rooms.
