Bangladesh: Prime Minister Hasina greets Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja, says ‘religion for individuals, festival for all’ is our motto

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has extended her greetings to the Hindu Community on the occasion of Durga Puja which is the biggest religious festival of Hindus of Bangladesh. In her message on the eve of the start of the festivity with Maha Shashthi day on 1st October, Sheikh Hasina said that Durga Puja is not only a festival of the Hindu community but it is now a universal festival. Prime Minister Hasina said that Bangladeshi people celebrate all religious festivals together being imbued with the motto ‘Religion is for individuals, festival is for all’.

She said that the constitution of Bangladesh ensures equal rights to all the people of the country irrespective of caste, creed and religion. She urged the people to maintain communal harmony during the Puja.

President M Abdul Hamid in his message called for making united efforts to take forward the Bangalee nation’s eternal heritage of communal harmony for the overall progress of the country.

The five day celebration of Durga Puja in Bangladesh started on Saturday with the unveiling of the face of the goddess Durga and Kalparambho at temples across the country on Maha Shashthi day.

The Mahashashthi Puja began in major temples of Dhaka early in the day. Puja was held at the Dhakeshwari temple, Ramana Kali Mandir, Sri Ramkrishna Ashram and also at temporary pandals built at Banani and other places in Dhaka. Holding of Mahashashthi puja was also reported from all the major cities and towns of Bangladesh including Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet and district towns including Faridpur, Dinajpur, Jashore, Kushtia, Satkhira among many others, reports the official news agency BSS.

Extensive security arrangements have been made across the Puja mandaps in the capital city Dhaka. Three tier security arrangements have been put in place at Puja pandals to ensure security and a disturbance free festival. CCTV cameras have been made mandatory at all pandals. Apart from police and other wings of the security apparatus, volunteers have also been deployed to ensure a peaceful Durga Puja. During a visit to the major temples in Dhaka like the Ramakrishna Mission temple, Rajarbagh Durga temple, Banani Durga temple and others extensive deployment of police was observed.

Durga Puja is being celebrated at 32,168 mandaps across the country this year including 241 in the capital, according to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.