Leaders of Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote on Friday demanded three-day public holiday for the forthcoming Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindus in the country.
The demand came as part of the organisation鈥檚 four-point demand raised at a roundtable discussion at the National Press Club on security issues and other concerns of the Hindu community ahead the festival to be observed from September 28 to October 2.
Organisation leaders called on the government to declare three days鈥擜shtami, Navami and Dashami鈥攐f Durga Puja holiday instead of the current two days.
Its other demands are installing CCTV cameras at government expenses at every permanent and temporary temple and strengthening security from 10 days ahead of the festival, ensuring army patrols during Durga Puja like the past year and establishing a central monitoring cell to strengthen security during the festival.
Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote executive secretary general Palash Kanti Dey read out a written statement, saying that the main three days of Durga Puja were Ashtami, Navami and Dashami.
Devotees engaged themselves day and night with rituals to ensure that the festival was carried out with due solemnity and with success, he said, alleging that the Hindus as a community were discriminated against as they got only two-day government holiday in the five-day festival.
He also expressed concern over some reported incidents of attack and vandalism of Durga idols and temples in different parts if the country.
Chaired by Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote president Prabhas Chandra Roy, the roundtable was attended by Bangladesh Nationalist Party central executive committee member Aslam Chowdhury, Gono Forum acting president Subrata Chowdhury, Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council acting general secretary Monindra Kumar Debnath, among others.
