Durga idols vandalized in Bangladesh

OUR BUREAU & IANS

DHAKA, Oct 18: Durga idols at a puja site in Satkhira district of Bangladesh were found vandalised on Sunday, according to media reports. Puja organisers at Babulia High School grounds in the Sadar upazila area said three idols were damaged, bdnews24 reported. Organising committee chief Arvind Mandal said the idols were guarded until the early hours of Sunday after artisans provided finishing touches the previous night. "Some of the committee members were at the site the whole night, but left in the morning. It was then that unidentified miscreants vandalised the idols," he said. Police rushed to the spot after the incident. "I have visited the site. Steps will be taken against those involved," a police official said. Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council's Satkhira chapter general secretary Swapan Kumar Sheel said that idols were being vandalised in different places in the district in a planned manner. He said on October 6, five idols were vandalized at Shashuni upazila.

It may be mentioned that though such negative reports are coming from Bangladesh, this year the country is witnessing 29,074 puja pandals, 3000 more than last year. "This year there are 29,074 puja pandals in Bangladesh, including 223 puja pandals in Dhaka alone," a Bangladeshi daily quoted Kajal Debth, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad.

Meanwhile, in separate messages, President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasi and Leader of the Opposition Raushan Ershad conveyed greetings to the members of the Hindu community, marking the festival, the daily reported.