MANIKGANJ, Oct 15, 2023 (BSS) - Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of

the Hindu community, will be celebrated at 574 mandaps in all seven upazilas,
including two Pourasabhas, in the district this year.

In this regard, Manikganj District Puja Udjapan Parishad organised a pre-
preparatory meeting that was held at the conference room of Superintendent of
Police (SP) in the town on Saturday with SP Mohammad Golam Azad Khan in the
chair.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of all the seven
Police Stations, President and Secretary of Bangladesh Puja Utjapan Parishad
of upazila and district units, District Puja Udjapan Parishad President
Professor Basudeb Saha, its General Secretary Anirban Paul and locals took
part in the meeting.

Participants at the meeting said the incumbent government always vigil to
protect the communal harmony among the people of all sectors across the
country. The upcoming Durga Puja will be celebrated peacefully as communal
cooperation has been prevailing in the district, they added.

In the meeting, SP Mohammad Golam Azad Khan said all steps will be taken so
that the Hindu community can celebrate the Puja in a peaceful and festive
atmosphere.

The law enforcers and volunteers will be deployed in each Puja Mandap to
maintain law and order situation. Besides, he said, "Each Puja Mandap will
come under a close circuit camera for monitoring."

Basudeb Saha said this year Durga Puja will be celebrated all over the
district in a befitting manner and festive mood at 574 mandaps which was 550
last year. Earlier, a preparatory meeting was also held at the conference
room of the Deputy Commissioner in this connection, he added.

Deputy Commissioner Rahana Akther presided over the meeting which was
attended, among others, by President and General Secretaries of all Upazila
Puja Udjapan Parishads and leaders of different Puja Mandaps.

The five-day long festival will begin on October 20 and end on October 24
with immersion of the idols of goddess Durga and other deities.

Prof Bashudeb Saha said the government allocated 500 Kilograms of rice for
each of the Puja mandaps in the district.