Law enforcers given order to stop attack on shrines: Home adviser

Law enforcement agencies have been given order to take steps to stop attacks on shrines in the country, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said today (10 September).

He made the remark while responding to a query from reporters after a meeting on law and order ahead of Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community, at the Secretariat.

Asked about the attacks being carried out at shrines including at Shah Poran's shrine, the adviser replied, "I don't know anything about the attack on the Shah Poran shrine. However it's my responsibility to ensure security so that no attack is launched. Law enforcers have been given directives in this regard."

He said a total of 32,666 puja mandaps will be erected across the country this year, with 157 and 88 mandaps in Dhaka South City and North City Corporations respectively.

Though the number of the puja mandap was 33,431 past year, the number will exceed this year, he said, quoting the puja celebration parishad.

Mentioning that security will be ensured from the time of making of the idols, he said, "We have discussed how to ensure round-the-clock security at the puja mandaps. Measures will be taken to facilitate celebration of puja without any hindrance and prevent the evil activities of miscreants."

He said the most important decision made in the meeting is recruiting volunteers to maintain security. "This year's volunteer recruitment will be different. Any citizen of Bangladesh can be volunteer. The number of volunteers should be at least two during the day and three at night."

The home affairs adviser said the puja committees were asked to keep musical instruments and sound systems off during Azan and Namaz.

Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, senior officials of the law enforcement agencies, Bangladesh Puja Celebration Parishad President Basudev Dhar and General Secretary Santos Sharma, among others, were present at the meeting.