Dhaka. Due to threats from fundamentalists in Bangladesh, the enthusiasm for Durga Puja has faded among the minorities. Amid increasing violence in the country, Ram Krishna Mission in Dhaka has decided not to organize Kumari Puja this year. The main puja will be celebrated inside the auditorium itself. A senior activist, on the condition of anonymity, said that the fundamentalists have warned not to use any kind of sound during the puja. Due to this situation there is an atmosphere of fear in the minority community.
According to a report, fundamentalists have threatened to ban the use of mike and musical instruments in connection with the celebration of Durga Puja in Bangladesh. A demand is being made to pay a ransom of five lakh taka to the puja committees for setting up the pandal. The Home Minister of Bangladesh had also said that at the time of Durga Puja, he had asked to stop the sound before Namaz and puja.
The Bangladesh government has assured the safety of puja pandals and Hindus during the upcoming festival, but minority activists say it is all a sham. Minorities are feeling unsafe. When Bangladesh was formed in 1971, the population of the minority community was 21 percent, but now it has come down to only 8.7 percent. Minority activists believe that the current regime is trying to eliminate the existence of minorities in Bangladesh. Amidst security concerns and religious intolerance in Bangladesh, the voices of the minority community are being suppressed, making it even more challenging for them to celebrate this festival.