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Published : 26 Sep 2025, 04:39 PM
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has announced the deployment of 281 patrol teams as part of the "special security measures" during this year’s Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival for Bengali Hindus.
In a statement on Friday, the RAB said the measures followed a risk assessment ahead of the festival. The force added that intelligence surveillance and patrols have been stepped up to prevent any untoward incidents.
According to the statement, battalion members are working with local Puja committees, elected representatives and other law-enforcing agencies through their respective control rooms. The RAB headquarters is monitoring the security situation around the clock.
The force has urged the public to report any suspected attempt to disrupt communal harmony during the celebrations, and said officers in each district, as well as RAB control rooms, will be available for assistance.
According to organisers, Durga Puja will be celebrated at 259 pavilions in Dhaka, seven more than last year.
As many as 33,355 pavilions will host Durga Puja nationwide, almost a thousand more than last year.
This year’s Durga Puja formally began with the rituals of Mahalaya on Sunday.
The main rituals will start with Shashthi Puja on Sept 28 and continue through Shaptami, Ashtami and Nabami, before concluding with the immersion of idols on Dashami on Oct 2.
According to Hindu belief, this year the goddess arrives on an elephant, seen as a symbol of plentiful harvests. But her departure on a palanquin is regarded as an omen of epidemic.
