The Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindus, will begin today.
Preparations are afoot for the annual festival at temples and makeshift puja mandaps across the country.
Chief adviser Muhammad Yunus greeted Hindus on the occasion of Durga Puja.
On the occasion of Durga Puja, the main religious festival of the Hindus, I extend my heartiest greetings to all the Hindus of the country, he said in a message on the eve of the festival.
Yunus said that destruction of evil forces and adoration of truth and beauty were the main features of the 鈥楽haradiya Durgotsab;.
Noting that Bangladesh is a country of sectarian harmony, he said, 鈥楾his country belongs to all of us. This country is a safe abode for all people irrespective of caste and religion.鈥�
鈥楾o successfully implement the progress we have begun through the July mass uprising to build a prosperous country free from discrimination and corruption, everyone must work together, forgetting religious and caste differences,鈥� Yunus said.
The chief adviser also called upon all to be imbued with the anti-discrimination spirit, keep the bonds of communal harmony intact and build a happy Bangladesh.
On Sunday, the Hindus celebrated Mahalaya inviting goddess Durga to her paternal home earth from Kailash, heaven, along with her offspring Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesh and Kartik.
The Hindus believed that goddess Durga arrives in earth from heaven during the puja. This year she will arrive on an elephant.
As part of last minute preparations for Durga Puja, idol makers and artisans are now passing their busiest time in giving the final touch to idols at puja mandaps.
Hindus are waiting eagerly as the puja mandaps will be filled with devotional chants with the smoke of dhup, beating of drums, kansar-mandira and ululation.
The first day of the festival will begin with the unveiling of the face of the deity on the day of Maha Shashthi today.
Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami will be celebrated on the next days while the festival will come to an end with the immersion of the idols on Bijaya Dashami on October 2.
In the capital, Dhakeshwari Temple, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, Ramna Kali Mandir, Azimpur Government Colony Puja Mandap, Joykali Mandir and Sri Sri Shanideb Mandir in Shankhari Bazar are all abuzz with decoration and lighting work. These iconic locations are aiming to complete their final preparations.
Durga Puja will also be arranged at Banani, Kalabagan, Siddeshwari Kali Mandir, Jagannath Hall on Dhaka University campus, Khamar Bari at Farmgate, Lalbagh Rishipara, Rajarbagh Kalimandir and old part of Dhaka including Tanti Bazar.
Basudeb Dhar, president of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, said that the number of puja mandaps across the country had been increased this year.
Durga Puja will be celebrated in a total of 33,355 mandaps and temples nationwide, with 258 in Dhaka city.
The interim government has allocated Tk 5 crore for Durga Puja this year.
To ensure the safety and security of the devotees, police, Ansar, BGB, RAB and other law enforcement agencies will be deployed at puja pandals. Volunteers will also assist the law enforcers at each location.
A central control room will be established at Dhakeshwari Temple, coordinated by the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee to monitor the security arrangements.
The cabinet division has asked the home ministry, education ministry, religious affairs ministry and other relevant authorities to closely monitor the law and order situation during the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations and ensure safe and joyous celebration of the festival.