Radical groups obstructing celebration of Durga Puja in several areas across Bangladesh: Reports

The festival will be celebrated from October 9 to 13.

According to reports, radicals have been obstructing celebration of the Hindu festival in Uttara, a region located close to capital Dhaka City.

A week ago, the radical Islamist groups organised several human chains in the name of local people against the Durga Puja in some sectors, including 11, 13 of Uttara, a witness told ANI news agency.

When tension rose in the area, the army and police held a meeting with the local leaders from Hindu and Muslim communities, they said.

Last year, the Hindu community performed Durga Puja in a field in Sector 11 of Uttara, but this time some worshippers of the nearby mosque and students of the madrasas formed a human chain there to stop the puja, they told the agency.

Celebration was also obstructed in Sector 13 of Uttara where Hindus wanted to celebrate the festival.

Community Police officer, Siraj Mia, 48, who has been serving as a security guard at Uttara Field No. 13 for the past 5 years, opened up on the situation on the ground while speaking to the Indian news agency.

“I heard that there will be a Durga Puja here. But the mosque committee said they will not allow Puja here. So there will be no Puja here”, Siraj Mia told ANI on Friday.

“This field is 13 No. sector playground. Usually, people play sports here. Eid prayers of Muslims are held here”, he added.

“It is a mosque”, Mia said, pointing the corner of the field. “During prayers, everyone goes to the mosque over this field. There is also a Madrasa close to this field.”

Away from Dhaka, eight Durga idols were vandalised at a temple in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur region of Bangladesh, amid a spike in attacks on Hindu community members in the country ever since former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government toppled.

  Arun Chandra Saha, general secretary of the temple, said artisans had just completed making the idols a few days ago.

“We were preparing to paint them in a day or two. There were a total of 14 idols in the temple, of which eight were vandalized in different parts," Saha told Dhaka Tribune.

Bangladesh is currently being ruled by an interim government.