Yunus visits Dhakeshwari Temple to inspect Durga Puja preparations

He joins a greeting-exchange meeting with the Hindu devotees following the visit

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus has visited the Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka to inspect preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja, the biggest annual festival for Bengali Hindus.

He arrived at the temple premises around 11am on Tuesday, according to state news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).

After touring the temple, he joined a greeting-exchange meeting with Hindu devotees and community leaders.

Earlier on Tuesday, Yunus met with leaders of the Puja Celebration Council at the State Guest House Jamuna, his official residence, to inquire about the preparations and overall arrangements for Durga Puja.

Hindu community leaders briefed him on the preparations, saying that this time, there are over a thousand more puja pavilions compared with last year.

They added that work on pavilion construction is progressing across Bangladesh.

The chief advisor urged everyone to remain vigilant against "conspiracies" aimed at sabotaging the festival.

This year, Durga Puja will be celebrated at 33,576 pavilions, with 255 of those located in Dhaka city.

According to the calendar, the festival will begin with Maha Panchami on Sept 27, followed by Maha Shasthi on Sept 28, Maha Saptami on Sept 29, Maha Ashtami on Sept 30, Maha Nabami on Oct 1, and Bijoya Dashami on Oct 2.

Bangladesh observes a public holiday on Dashami, the final day of the festival.