BSS, Gaibandha :
The five-day holy Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindu Community, began through Moha Shashti in all the seven upazilas of the district today with due religious fervor and festivity.
General Secretary of District Puja Celebration Parishad (DPCP) principal Paresh Chandra Saha said the devotees installed colorful images of the goddess Durga in 566 puja mandaps in the district with attractive decorations.
Of the total, some 123 puja mandaps have been erected in Sundarganj upazila, 188 in Gobindaganj upazila, 99 in Sadar upazila, 100 in Sadullapur upazila, 62 in Palashbari upazila, 57 in Saghata upazila and 17 in Fulchhari upazila of the district.
A large number of devotees including women and children are visiting the puja mandaps and joining in the rituals of the puja. Prasads are also being distributed to the visitors, said Sudev Kumar Chowdhury, vice president of the parishad.
District and police administration have taken special security measures in and around of all the puja mandaps to hold the festival in a peaceful manner, said superintendent of police M. Mofazzel Hossain.
On the other hand, the government also distributed as many as 278 tonnes of rice to the committee of the puja mandaps here to help the community celebrate the festival smoothly, said deputy commissioner M. Ehsan-e-Elahi.
Deputy speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament Advocate Fazle Rabbi Miah, whip Mahabub Ara Begum Gini, and Dr. Younus Ali Sarker, MP, have greeted the members of the Hindu Community on the occasion of Sharadiya Durga Puja.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Celebration of Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, began in the city and all the nine upazilas of the district like other parts of the country amid great enthusiasm and festive mood.
The festival was marked by puja, arati, recitation from scriptures, distribution of proshad, offering of devotional songs and bhajans.
A huge number of devotees are visiting different puja mandaps to have a look at goddess Durga with great excitement. Besides, huge crowd was seen at every Puja mondaps throughout the day especially in the afternoon.
The district administration and Puja Udjapan Parishad Committee (PUPC) sources said 66 puja mandaps were set up this year in the metropolis while 337 in the district.
District administration has distributed more than 200 tonnes of rice to celebrate Durga puja this year.
The celebration will end through the immersion of idols of goddess Durga on Bijoya Dashami Friday.
The authorities concerned have given assurances of smooth supply of electricity to all puja mandaps at nights to enable the Hindu devotees offering their prayers, puja, archanas, kirtons and other religious rituals smoothly.
Meanwhile, foolproof security measures were taken in the city and its adjacent areas to avert any untoward incident during the big religious festival of the Hindu community.
Sarder Tamij Uddin, acting commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, says four-tier security measures have been adopted in the city areas.
