Police will be deployed in all Puja Mandaps during Durga Puja: Bangladesh Home Minister

Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that police force will be provided at all Puja Mandaps in the country throughout the entire period of Durga Puja this year. Speaking to the reporters at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday, Home Minister Kamal said that the decision has been taken to avoid vandalism and prevent any untoward incident during the Durga Puja festival which starts from October 1. He said that all the Puja Mandaps are required to have CCTV cameras installed during the festival.

The Home Minister further said that the volunteers will also be protecting the Mandaps during the festival to ensure a peaceful Puja festival this year. Special arrangements for the protection of women and children are being made during the Puja. Control room will be set up. Mobile courts will also be working to deal with miscreants on an immediate basis, said the Minister.

Referring to the incident at Comilla last year when some miscreant placed a copy of holy Quran in the Puja Mandap, the Home Minister said that CCTV camera in the Mandap would have helped police find out the culprit quickly. The Home Minister said that the number of Puja mandap this year has increased to 32,168 mandapas across the country. The government has requested the Puja Udjapan Parishad not to increase the number of Puja Mandaps further in view of the security issues.

Bangladesh had witnessed vandalism against the Hindu temples and attacks on the houses and properties of the minority community across several districts of Bangladesh last year. Several people were killed including those in the police firing against vandals in these incidents. The Government of Bangladesh is taking steps to avoid repeat of such incidents during the Durga Puja this year.