Hindu community to cut Durga Puja expense to aid Rohingyas

Bangladesh Hindu community leaders will provide assistance to Rohingya Muslim refugees curtailing expenses of the Durga Puja, the largest Hindu religious festival of the country. 

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad came up with the announcement at a view exchange meeting at Dhakeshwari National Temple Auditorium in Dhaka this morning.

“We will shorten the expenses of the festivity across the country and donate the money to help the Rohingya Muslim refugees,” said Advocate Tapas Kumar Pal, general secretary of the parishad.

The parishad urged its local leaders to be more vigilant to avert any untoward situation during the festival.

A total of 30,077 mandaps (makeshift temples) will be set up across the country while 231 mandaps will be set up in Dhaka city, he said.

The government should declare three-day public holiday during the puja, to be celebrated from September 27 to 30 this year.

Earlier, the country's Buddhist community declared that they would refrain from flying Fanush (colourful paper lanterns) in Prabarana Purnima this year in protest of the persecution of Rohingyas in Myanmar