Durga Puja in Bangladesh: A festival of faith amid vigilance

The Hindu community in Bangladesh is set to celebrate its most sacred festival, Durga Puja, beginning Sunday, September 28, and continuing until October 2. More than 33,000 pujas will be held across the country this year—about a thousand more than last year—signifying the enduring devotion of worshippers.

The festival preparations, marked by beautifully adorned idols of Goddess Durga, come at a time of heightened security. In recent weeks, incidents of idol vandalism and attacks on temples were reported in at least 11 districts, including Chittagong, Satkhira, and Gazipur. Authorities have responded with swift action, detaining several suspects.

Leaders of the Puja committees urged that true security must extend beyond the five festival days, calling for a culture of non-communal harmony and social resistance to intolerance. “To build an anti-discrimination Bangladesh, we must nurture year-round awareness,” said Jayanta Kumar Deb, President of the Metropolitan Public Puja Committee.

The Bangladesh Puja Celebration Council has issued 22 guidelines for organisers and appealed for the withdrawal of false cases against minority leaders. Standing at the historic Dhakeshwari Temple, council president Bashudeb Dhar affirmed, “Puja is ours, but celebration is for all—this is the heritage of Bangladesh.”