Bangladesh tightens Durga Puja security, announces five-day holiday

Bangladesh on Wednesday announced an extensive security plan for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations, including round-the-clock police monitoring, digital surveillance and increased financial assistance for festival organisers. The government also extended the official holiday to three days, effectively providing a five-day break when combined with the regular weekend.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed unveiled the measures following a high-level coordination meeting at the Home Ministry, attended by senior law enforcement officials and representatives of major Hindu community organisations. The government has assigned responsibility for ensuring peaceful celebrations to agencies operating at the national, divisional, district and upazila levels.

The announcements came as Bangladesh prepared to celebrate Durga Puja at 33,851 venues across the country, an increase of nearly 1,500 over the previous year. Authorities have been instructed to strengthen coordination with local festival committees and respond immediately to potential security threats.

Round-the-clock security monitoring

Ahmed said intelligence agencies had not identified any puja venue as particularly vulnerable or high-risk so far. However, law enforcement agencies would remain on heightened alert throughout the celebrations, with arrangements in place to address any emerging threat.

The government will establish 24-hour monitoring cells at Police Headquarters and at divisional and district police offices. These units will coordinate security arrangements, monitor developments and facilitate immediate responses to incidents reported during the festival.

Authorities will also deploy a mobile application developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre to improve communication between officials. The digital platform, previously used during elections, will allow rapid reporting of security incidents and help agencies coordinate their responses.

District-level officials are being trained to operate the application before the celebrations begin. The initiative is intended to improve information sharing and reduce delays in responding to emergencies.

Funding increased to Tk 5 crore

The government has increased its financial allocation for Durga Puja celebrations from Tk 4 crore to Tk 5 crore following directives from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The additional assistance will support festival arrangements across the country as the number of puja venues continues to rise.

The Home Minister also announced that the official Durga Puja holiday had been extended to three days following longstanding demands from the Hindu community. With the regular Friday and Saturday weekend included, government employees will receive five consecutive days off.

Representatives of several Hindu organisations, including the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Puja Front, Hindu Religious Welfare Trust and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee, participated in the discussions on security arrangements.

Volunteers to receive identification cards

Under the security plan, local police stations will collect verified lists and contact details of volunteers assigned to individual puja venues. The volunteers will receive official identification cards to facilitate coordination with law enforcement personnel.

Festival organisers have also been directed to make adequate arrangements for emergency situations. The Home Ministry has instructed the relevant authorities to ensure uninterrupted electricity supplies at puja venues, while organisers have been asked to keep generators operational and rechargeable lights available as additional backup.

These measures are intended to maintain essential services during the celebrations and ensure that security personnel and volunteers can continue operating during unexpected power disruptions.

Government addresses vandalism reports

Responding to questions about social media reports alleging idol vandalism in Sylhet, Manikganj and Dinajpur, Ahmed said the authorities had not officially confirmed the reported incidents at the time of the briefing. He assured journalists that the Inspector General of Police would initiate immediate action if investigations established that the incidents had occurred.

The Home Minister also addressed concerns about extortion and other criminal activities, saying police regularly update lists of suspected extortionists, armed criminals and drug traffickers. He maintained that law enforcement agencies had been instructed to act against offenders irrespective of their political affiliations.

Ahmed urged citizens to contact the national emergency hotline, 999, whenever immediate police assistance was required. He also appealed for cooperation between local communities, festival organisers and security agencies to ensure peaceful celebrations.

Authorities emphasise religious harmony

The government said its preparations were intended to provide a secure environment for the Hindu community during one of its most important religious festivals. Ahmed maintained that religious and social harmony had improved compared with previous years and reiterated the administration's commitment to protecting festival participants.

Separately, State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaiser directed local administrations and law enforcement agencies to exercise particular vigilance during idol immersion. He also instructed authorities to investigate potential incidents impartially and take action against the circulation of misleading or manipulated social media content that could threaten communal harmony.

The expanded security arrangements, increased financial allocation and extended holidays form part of the government's preparations for this year's celebrations.