RANGPUR, Oct 11, 2021 (BSS) - The Sanaton community began five-day
celebrations of their greatest religious festival of Durga Puja with 'Bodhan'
today at all 5,189 Puja mandaps in Rangpur division amid due religious
gaiety.

   The Sanaton devotees of all ages started thronging Puja mandaps this
morning to have a glance at goddess Durga and seek her blessings for the
welfare of them and humanity as a whole.

   The administrations, law enforcement agencies and local units of
Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad (BPUP) have taken ample steps to ensure
peaceful celebrations of Durga Puja abiding by the health directives amid the
Covid-19 pandemic.

   Local leaders of BPUP said the five-day celebrations will end on October
15 next with the 'Bijoya Dashami' parade and immersion of the idols of
goddess Durga in water bodies.

   The district administrations have distributed 500 kgs rice among each of
the 5,189 Puja mandap authorities in the division to assist the Sanaton
community in celebrating their greatest religious festival.

   Deputy Inspector General for Rangpur Range Police Devdas Bhattacharya said
special measures have been taken with deployment of police, RAB, Highway
Police, Ansar-VDP and community police to ensure peaceful celebrations of
puja.

   Local Members of Parliament, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of
Police, Upazila Nirbahi Officers, politicians, leaders of socio-cultural
organisations and BPUPs are visiting Puja mandaps and extending cooperation
to the Sanaton community people.

   Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohd Abdul Alim Mahmud said the
Sanaton community started celebrations of Durga Puja today amid huge
enthusiasm at all 156 mandaps erected at different places under jurisdictions
of the metropolis.

   "We have taken sufficient steps and security measures to ensure peaceful
celebrations of the five-day religious festival at all Puja mandaps located
under all six police stations of Rangpur Metropolitan Police," Alim told BSS.

   Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) of Rangpur Md Golam Rabbani said
celebrations of Durga Puja festival began today at 947 Durga Puja mandaps in
all eight upazilas, Rangpur metropolis and three municipalities in the
district.

   Superintendent of Police of Rangpur Biplob Kumar Sarker said sufficient
security measures have been taken to ensure peaceful celebrations of Durga
Puja at all Puja mandaps erected across the district.

   President of Rangpur district unit of BPUP Ajoy Prasad Babon said the
Sanaton community today began celebrations of Durga Puja amid huge enthusiasm
at all 947 Puja mandaps erected in the district.

   Talking to BSS today at different Puja mandaps in the metropolis, Sanaton
devotees Rameswar Barman, Dulal Chandra, Shyamoli Rani and Asrukona Roy
expressed satisfaction over the security steps taken for peaceful celebration
of Durga Puja.

   "We are offering prayers, Puja, archana, kirtons and other religious
rituals peacefully amid huge enthusiasm and cheerfulness," said another
devotee Narayan Chandra.

   General Secretary of Rangpur district unit of BPUP Dhiman Bhattacharya
thanked the government and law enforcement agencies for taking adequate steps
to ensure peaceful celebrations of the Durga Puja festival in every Puja
mandap.

   Divisional Commissioner Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said the administrations and
law enforcement agencies are working round the clock to ensure peaceful
celebrations of the five-day Durga Puja festival in the division.

   Similarly, the Sanaton community started celebration of the five-day Durga
Puja festival today in Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari,
Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Gaibandha districts of the division.