Special Response Battalion-2 (SRB-2) Commander Additional DIG Naimul Hasan has announced enhanced security measures for the upcoming Durga Puja, including intelligence surveillance, regular patrols, a 24-hour control room and hotline service.
Two helicopters and drones will also be deployed on the day of idol immersion to ensure security, he said.
The measures were announced at a coordination meeting with representatives of Durga Puja celebration committees at the SRB-2 headquarters on Saturday.
“There are no minorities in Bangladesh. We are all Bangladeshis and enjoy equal citizenship rights. We respect diversity,” Naimul Hasan said.
He said intelligence surveillance would be intensified during the festival, while a 24-hour control room and hotline service would operate from the SRB-2 headquarters. The hotline number is 01777710299.
Regular patrols around puja mandaps, checkpoints and special motorcycle patrols will be introduced. Authorities will also monitor social media round the clock to prevent rumours and misinformation.
The Surakkha app will enable people to report incidents at puja mandaps directly to law enforcement agencies for prompt action.
Representatives of the puja committees said some mandaps were located beside mosques and called for preventive measures to avert potential incidents. They also urged the authorities to ease traffic congestion around puja venues.
In response, Naimul Hasan said any individuals or groups attempting to disrupt communal harmony through sabotage or other untoward incidents would be dealt with firmly and brought to justice.
He reaffirmed SRB-2’s commitment to ensuring a peaceful Durga Puja while preserving Bangladesh’s longstanding tradition of communal harmony.
He also assured the representatives that the authorities would coordinate with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s traffic division to address congestion around puja venues.
He assured the representatives that necessary measures would be taken to ease traffic congestion in coordination with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) traffic division.
Puja committee representatives were urged to contact the SRB-2 hotline or the battalion commander directly for any assistance. The commander also assured them that the identities of informants would be kept strictly confidential.
SRB-2 will maintain regular communication with puja committee representatives to uphold communal harmony and ensure a safe environment during the Durga Puja celebrations.