No security fear regarding Durga Puja: Home adviser

There are no security concerns regarding the Durga Puja set to begin tomorrow, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said today (8 October).

"Security has been boosted for the festival," he told reporters after visiting the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute in Gazipur this morning. 

"Usually, police, Ansar, village police and volunteers maintain regular security. However, for this puja, we have deployed additional forces including the Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, army, navy, and air force personnel," he said. 

"This time all kinds of forces have been deployed. This year's puja will be celebrated very well. I hope there will be no problem in this puja," added the adviser. 

Speaking on the occasion, the adviser also addressed the recent spike in mob lynching.

"The mob [lynching] culture already existed. It has not increased. We have to increase public awareness to prevent it. For instance, if you [journalists] start fighting, what will happen? The work will be done before the law enforcement agencies arrive."

Speaking about the lynching of two youths and a man in Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and in Chattogram, respectively, he said these incidents happened before law enforcement agencies could reach the spots.

Speaking about market syndicates, Jahangir, also the agriculture adviser, said the commerce ministry is trying to break the syndicates.

"I think the commodity price will come down to a tolerable level soon," he added.