Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) has intensified intelligence surveillance ahead of the Durga Puja, largest religious festival of the Hindu community, in the metropolis.
"We are determined to celebrate the religious festival amid enthusiasm and communal harmony," said Abu Kalam Siddique, Commissioner of RMP, while addressing a view sharing meeting with leaders of Puja Udjapan Committee at police lines conference hall here yesterday as the chief guest.
Apart from the RMP officials, leaders and members of Puja Udjapon committees, Hindu Kallyan Trust, public representatives and others concerned joined the meeting.
RMP Police Commissioner Kalam Siddique said the five-day Durga Puja will be celebrated in 95 Puja Mandaps in the city from October 1 to 5 and tight security measures will be taken centering all the Mandaps.
Additional Commissioner Faruque Hossain, Deputy Commissioners Saifuddin Shaheen and Anirban Chakma and Puja Udjapan Committee leaders Anil Kumar Sharker, Shymal Kumar Ghosh and Sadhan Kunar Roy also spoke on the occasion.
Commissioner Kalam Siddique said there will be overall security measures and intelligence vigilance has already been enhanced across the city. He sought wholehearted cooperation from all quarters for successful and peaceful celebrations of the forthcoming Durga Puja. Kalam Siddque assured of extending all possible security support to the puja celebration everywhere in the RMP areas. He urged the puja committee leaders to set up closed circuit cameras in the important puja Mandaps alongside metal detectors in the main entrances. There should be separate gates for male and females.
He also asked the officer-in-charge (OC) of the police stations to keep close coordination with the puja committee round the clock giving instructions to the traffic division to enhance traffic management.
"We have to put in our level best efforts to ensure communal harmony for all
faiths in each of the puja Mandaps," he added.
Meanwhile, preparation for celebrating the Durga Puja is going on everywhere in the metropolis at present. People of the community are passing their busy days with the work of decorating and painting idols and puja Mandaps ahead of their festival.
Idol makers commonly known as Pauls are passing their busy days giving final touch to works of idols of Hindu deities. With only a week left, the Pauls are working round the clock to make sure that the idols are ready in time.
Decorations of temples, lighting, and setting up of Mandaps are expected to give the city a festive look within the next couple of days.