Staff Reporter:
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed yesterday said that the Sharadiya Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, was celebrated across the country in a peaceful manner with tight security and enthusiasm this year, setting a shining example of religious harmony.
The minister made the remarks at a press briefing on contemporary issues at the Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Secretariat.
He said advance preparations to maintain law and order helped ensure peaceful Durga Puja celebrations across the country, marked by religious fervor and communal harmony.
The same environment of peace and harmony would continue in the coming years, he hoped.
At the outset of the briefing, the home minister thanked the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar, Special Response Battalion (SRB), all the intelligence agencies, journalists and all others involved in ensuring the safety and peaceful celebration of the festival.
He said that various unpleasant incidents, acts of terrorism and attempts to undermine religious harmony had been witnessed around Durga Puja over the past 15–17 years.
However, he said that the present government had succeeded in moving the country away from such practices.
According to the minister, authorities focused on preventive measures rather than responding only after incidents occurred.
The use of digital applications and modern technology enabled round-the-clock monitoring from grassroots to divisional and central levels, helped detect and thwart a small number of potential sabotage plots in advance.
Ahmed said Durga Puja was celebrated at a record of 33,851 mandaps across Bangladesh this year. Besides, the government also took several initiatives to make the festival more enjoyable.
In this connection, he said the government allocation for the festival had been increased to Taka five crore from the previous maximum of Taka four crore, while the rice allocation for each mandap had been raised by 100 kilograms to 600 kilograms.
Hindu devotees also enjoyed five consecutive days of holidays, including the weekly holidays, with three days declared as public holidays, he added.
The minister described these initiatives as a reflection of the government’s commitment to building a united Bangladesh founded on communal harmony.
Responding to a question about a recent incident near Kheyaghat area of Gopalganj Sadar, the minister alleged that a group of activists affiliated with the banned Awami League and its associate bodies, Chhatra League and Jubo League, attempted to attack patrolling police personnel.
He said the police were outnumbered during the incident but that legal action against those involved had already begun after authorities examined video footage of the incident.
Regarding the recent law and order situation in Sajek, the home minister said tensions sometimes arise during the tourist season because of internal conflicts and struggles for dominance among several small armed groups.
However, he said the situation was currently under control.
The Bangladesh Army and police have taken necessary measures to maintain peace and order, while local political leaders, including local Member of Parliament Wadud Bhuiyan, have continued discussions to help resolve tensions, he added.
On a question about a raid at the residence of an additional deputy inspector general (DIG) during the Durga Puja holidays and the sentencing of 85 people through mobile courts, the minister said the accused officer had already been attached to another assignment without consideration of his official position.
He added that departmental proceedings and other legal processes would continue against the officer in accordance with the existing laws.
The minister reiterated that maintaining
