Ahead of Eid-e-Miladunabi and the Christmas Day, two holy festivals of Muslim and Christian communities scheduled for tommorrow, special security measures have been taken across the port city of Chittagong to fend off any kind of subversive activities.
This year Muslim community and Christian community are going to mark their respective holy religious programmes on the same day. On the day, several Muslim religious organisations will bring out processions named “Jusney Julush” in the city marking the Eid-e-Miladunabi.
Talking to Dhaka Tribune, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP)’s Additional Commissioner (crime and operation) Debdas Bhattacharia said: “Police and intelligence personnel are on alert ahead of the holy programmes. Additional police forces will be deployed at each church in the city to avert any kind of untoward situation”.
“Along with uniformed police, plain clothes police and detective personnel have also been working in the field level in the city to find out if there is any threat of subversive activities,” said the CMP additional commissioner.
This year, the Christian devotees are going to mark their biggest festival in the 17 churches in the city.
On December 18, at least six persons were hurt when a person detonated two crude bombs inside a mosque in Chittagong’s Naval Base Issa Khan.
Police had said the attack was carried out to create panic among townspeople.
After the attack, the security measures have been tightened in the Key Point Installments (KPI)s, said police sources.
CMP’s Debdas Bhattacharia said: “Today [Thursday] the church authorities in the city called a meeting to discuss the security and other arrangement issues”.
Sources at different churches said each of churches has own security arrangements while the visitors entry are restricted during the holy programme.
On the day, Anjuman-A- Rahmania Ahmodia Sunnia Trust will bring out a procession marking the Eid-e-Miladunabi, the birth and death day of Prophet Mohammed (pbuh), in city.
Like previous years, Allama Taher Shah, an Islamic Scholar from Pakistan, will lead the procession.