BANGLADESH

Durga Puja, the biggest annual religious festival of the Hindus in Bangladesh, begins on Sunday across the country.

The Maha Shashthhi, the sixth day of the moon when Goddess Durga is welcomed with much fanfare and gusto, will be observed on Sunday, amid wispy autumn clouds in the translucent blue sky and fragrance of Jasmine that will mark the arrival of the goddess. Shashthhi is the first chapter of the five-day religious extravaganza.

The 'Bodhon' (invocation) rituals include the unveiling of the face of the idol. Bodhon, Amontron and Adhibas are the important rituals of Shasthhi apart from Kalparambho – the ritual performed before the commencement of the Puja.

President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia in separate messages have greeted the Hindus on the occasion.

President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP) Subrata Chowdhury told on Saturday that all the arrangements and preparation for the festival were already completed.

This year the Durga Puja will be observed from Oct 2 to Oct 6 at some 27,000 pavilions or mandaps across the country including 196 in the city.

Maha Bijaya Dashami, the last day of Durga Puja when Hindus bid farewell to the Goddess and greet each other Bijaya wishes, will be on Oct 6 through immersing the deities of the goddess Durga in a river or pond. The day is a public holiday.

The main Durga Puja pavilions in the city include the Dhakeshwari National Temple, Ramna Kali Temple, Dhaka University Jagannath Hall, Ramakrishna Mission, Anandamayi Ashram and Loknath Brammhachariya Ashram.

State-run radio station Bangladesh Betar and television BTV, as well as the private stations, will broadcast special programmes. The national dailies will also publish special supplementary.

According to Hindu faith, Goddess Durga comes down to the Earth from the Heaven to establish peace, harmony by annihilating evil forces.

Bengalis celebrate the occasion by getting dressed in new cloths, buying gifts and savouring delicacies. Families go out to the pavilions and revere the goddess.

PUJA SECURITY

A security blanket has been put across the country to facilitate peaceful celebrations of the Puja. Several thousands of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police members will be deployed in the capital, Dhaka, to ensure security.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) commissioner Benazir Ahmed at a news conference recently said that the sufficient members of RAB. Police, Ansar, Fire Brigade and Puja Udjapan Parisad Committee are management the security during the Puja this year. Plaincloths policemen will also be there.

RAB director-general Mokhlesur Rahman told on Saturday that the maximum security was taken in the city to avoid any unpleasant incident as there would be gathering of the devotees in the Puja pavilions.

Dhaka's additional district magistrate S M Mahbubur Rahman said the district administration decided to conduct mobile courts in the Upazilas under the district administration. "Decision on security for Dhaka city may come on Sunday."

RAB's Legal and Media Wing director M Sohail told  that two of their mobile courts would conduct operations in the city on the occasion of the Puja, if necessary.

DMP's Detective Branch (DB) additional deputy commissioner Masudur Rahman toldon Saturday, "Forty Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras have been set up in Dhakeshwari National Temple and Banani Math in the city by the DMP to ensure tight security.'