Dhaka, Sept 29 (V7N) – State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaiser today directed the authorities concerned to ensure foolproof security for the smooth, peaceful, safe and festive celebration of the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja across the country.
He gave the directive while presiding over an inter-ministerial meeting held at the conference room of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, according to a press release.
The state minister said the government is determined to ensure that Durga Puja, the major religious festival of the Hindu community, is celebrated in a safe and festive atmosphere across the country. He urged the authorities concerned to ensure proper distribution of the grants allocated by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to all puja mandaps across the country through the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust.
Referring to the increase in the number of puja mandaps nationwide, Shamim Kaiser said the local administration and law enforcement agencies should perform their duties with utmost vigilance to ensure proper management and overall security, particularly during idol immersion. Emphasising the need to strengthen social and religious harmony, he urged all concerned to maintain the longstanding practice of observing necessary silence during the time of Azan and prayers.
The state minister stressed refraining from making derogatory remarks about the gods of other religions and said legal action must be taken against anyone responsible for any untoward incident. He directed intelligence and law enforcement agencies to immediately verify the authenticity of any rumours spread through social media by misusing old or edited incidents and take legal action against those responsible. Shamim Kaiser also called upon the conscious young generation to play a role in disseminating accurate information to prevent rumours.
Regarding the matter of not concealing any untoward incident, he said, "We do not want to remain in the denial stage. It is not right to portray someone as mentally unstable or unaware simply because they have been arrested after an incident." "Such an approach damages communal harmony. Rather, although there may be an initial setback, proper punishment following an investigation can help heal people's grievances," the state minister added. He directed the law enforcement agencies concerned to ensure a prompt, impartial, strict and exemplary punishment through a neutral investigation without concealing the identity of any offender.
Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and Ethnic affairs Bijon Kanti Sarkar, Secretary of the Religious Affairs Ministry Munshi Alauddin Al Azad and representatives of different ministries and agencies, intelligence agencies, Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Welfare Front and Puja Udjapan Parishad attended the meeting.
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