Moulvibazar Superintendent of Police (SP) MKH Jahangir Hossain has warned that it is now possible to spread AI-generated images of attacks on puja mandaps or vandalism of idols. He urged the public to verify such videos before believing them.
He made these comments on Sunday, during a law-and-order consultation meeting held ahead of the Sharadiya Durga Puja. The meeting took place at the Moulvibazar Model police station auditorium.
“Such material is intended to damage your internal relationships and weaken social bonds. These individuals are likely to be particularly active at this time and will use such content around the puja. We have information that preparations are underway,” he said.
“If you see such propaganda, check its authenticity first and contact law enforcement. Those who have previously betrayed your trust have never wanted peace, do not want it now, and will not want it in the future,” he added.
The SP said: “We often use terms like minority group in conversation. Such words create division in society and must be removed from our vocabulary. Everyone in Bangladesh is equal. Why should anyone be singled out as a minority? Those who use such terms never have the country’s best interests at heart; they are always weaving conspiracies.”
He added: “It is natural for people of all religions to live in a country. Using the term minority undermines morale from the start. Stay away from those who speak in this way; they do not wish well for the nation or society.”
During the meeting, he also said: “As we become more modern, incidents of disruption are increasing. In recent times, we have seen attempts to interfere with puja mandaps or hurt religious sentiments, which rarely happened 15–20 years ago.”
He assured that the current government is committed to ensuring that followers of the Hindu religion can celebrate Durga Puja joyfully and safely.
“All measures have been taken so that Hindu brothers do not have to worry about their security. There will be no compromise on safety. If everyone remains vigilant, miscreants will not be able to cause any harm,” he said.
The consultation also included opinions from the presidents of all public Durga Puja mandap committees from 12 unions and the municipality of Sadar upazila.