Security tightened in Ctg ahead of puja, eid

Policewomen check the belongings of a woman at a check post on Momin Road of Chittagong city yesterday as part of the beefed up security measures ahead of Durga Puja and Eid-ul Azha.Photo: STAR

Law enforcement agencies have beefed up security in Chittagong city on the occasion of three big religious festivals of Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists.
Within a period of ten days, Hindus will be celebrating their biggest festival Durga Puja (October 20-24), Muslims Eid-ul-Azha (October 27), and Buddhists Prabarana Purnima (October 29).
Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Shafiqul Islam said a total of 1,500 police members would be deployed at the puja mandaps across Chittagong city to maintain congenial atmosphere and prevent any unwanted situation.
CMP has already launched search operations and set up check posts at the entry points of the city.
Organisers said this year Durga Puja would be celebrated at a total of 251 puja mandaps under 12 police stations of Chittagong city.
On the occasion, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) has increased their patrolling throughout the city and the upazilas of Chittagong.
Rab personnel are visiting all puja mandaps every night and staying there from 9:00pm to 1:00am, said Deputy Director of Rab-7 Maj Rakibul Amin.
About 500 Rab members will guard the puja mandaps in the city and the upazilas, he said, adding that a number of plain clothes Rab personnel would also be there in and around the mandap areas.
Senior Joint Secretary of Mahanagar Puja Udjapan Parishad Ratnakar Das said all the agencies, including NSI and DGFI, had assured them of providing adequate security on the occasion.
Apart from security forces, around 3,000 volunteers will be engaged in maintaining congenial atmosphere at the mandaps, he added.