Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to Bangladesh’s interim government, visited the centuries-old Dhakeshwari temple on Saturday amid reports of an attack on a major Durga Puja celebration in Dhaka.
Yunus said in a program at the temple that the government wants to make Bangladesh in such a way where the rights of every citizen will be ensured.
A crude bomb was hurled at a Durga Puja pavilion in Tanti Bazaar area of old Dhaka on Friday night. After this a fire broke out but no one was injured.
Around 35 untoward incidents related to Durga Puja festival were reported in Bangladesh from October 1 to Friday and 17 people have been arrested.
Dhaka Tribune newspaper gave this information quoting Inspector General of Police Mohammad Moinul Islam. The five-day Hindu religious festival, known as Mahasashti, began on Wednesday with the invocation of Goddess Durga.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga.
Minority Hindus have faced harassment in Bangladesh during the violence that broke out after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina from the post of Prime Minister on August 5.
Their business establishments and properties were vandalized and temples were damaged. Only eight percent of Bangladesh’s population of 17 crore are Hindus.
The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi expressed serious concern over reports of attacks on Durga Puja pavilions, citing Friday’s Tantibazar incident and the theft of a gold crown from the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple in Satkhira, about 270 km from Dhaka.
In the wake of the attacks on the Durga Puja temple, Yunus visited the Dhakeshwari temple in the old part of the city despite earlier announcing that he planned to visit on Sunday.
This temple is one of the major Shaktipeeths. “During his visit, Yunus greeted members of the Hindu community on the auspicious occasion of Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Hindus in Bangladesh,” state news organization ‘Bangladesh Sangbad Sanstha (BSS)’ quoted the Chief Advisor’s press wing as saying. “
According to ‘The Daily Star’, Yunus said at an event at Dhakeshwari Temple that the government wants to carve Bangladesh in such a way “where the rights of every citizen will be ensured.” Yunus said, “Law enforcement agencies have sincerely done the ‘difficult’ job of ensuring public safety during Durga Puja.
“However, seeking cooperation from law enforcement agencies while celebrating an occasion is a collective failure.” Later, AF Hasan Arif, advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, Cooperation and Lands, visited the local hospital to visit those who were injured in the attack on Tanti Bazar Mandap. Arif also inspected the puja pavilion built by Tanti Bazar Puja Committee. ‘Dhaka Tribune’ gave this news.
In another news, BSS said that the interim government’s home advisor Lieutenant General (retd) Jahangir Alam Choudhary visited puja pavilions in Srinagar and Sirajdikhan.
He said that the government has already allocated four crore taka (Bangladeshi currency) for this puja ceremony. India on Saturday expressed “serious concern” over reports of alleged attack on a Durga Puja pandal and theft at a Kali temple in Bangladesh and urged the Bangladesh government to ensure the safety of Hindus, all other minorities and their places of worship in the country.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs described these incidents as condemnable and said that these incidents are taking place as part of a planned conspiracy to defile the temples and deities in Bangladesh.
The ministry said, “We call on the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship, especially during this holy festival.”
Earlier on Thursday, about six people sang a song calling for Islamic revolution on the stage of a Durga Puja pavilion at the Jatra Mohan Sen Hall in Chittagong, about 250 kilometers southeast of Dhaka, sparking widespread outrage.
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