Home Affairs Adviser Lieutenant General (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said on Monday (September 8) that around 33,000 mandaps across Bangladesh will host Durga Puja this year. 

He said that members of the Hindu community had not expressed any concerns ahead of the annual festival.

Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat after a meeting on security and law and order measures for the celebration, the adviser outlined the preparations being taken nationwide. 

“This year, around 300,000 Ansar members will be deployed at mandaps, in addition to police and other law enforcement agencies,” he said.

The adviser said maintaining an updated list of puja venues was critical for security arrangements. “If mandaps are set up outside the official list, it creates problems for us. We have requested the organisers to provide their lists in advance so that law enforcement can be deployed accordingly,” he explained.

The adviser further said that this year, all idol immersion ceremonies must be completed by 7 pm. In Dhaka city alone, there are approximately 255 mandaps, though the exact figure may change as lists are updated.

Asked whether the Hindu community had voiced any concerns, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, “This time they have not expressed any worries. In previous years, there were usually one or two concerns. They told us last year’s festival was peaceful, and they expect this year to be even more so.”

SMS/