Hindus To Stop Puja, Loud Speakers 5 Minutes Ahead Azan, Namaz: Bangladesh Notice Amid Upcoming Durga Puja

The Bangladesh Home Ministry on September 10, issued a directive for the Hindu community in anticipation of Durga Puja celebrations. The decree instructs Puja committees to turn off all rituals and sound systems five minutes before and during Azan and Namaz. This move has triggered backlash online, with critics labeling it as a “Talibani order” imposed by the interim Bangladeshi government on Hindus.

According to Bangladeshi media reports, Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the Home Affairs Adviser, met with leaders of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad at the secretariat. In the interim Bangladeshi government, an adviser holds a position equivalent to a minister.

During a press conference following the meeting, Alam Chowdhury addressed the issue of maintaining law and order during Durga Puja, the largest Hindu festival in Bangladesh, which will be observed from October 9 to October 13. Chowdhury explained that Puja committees are required to turn off musical instruments and sound systems five minutes before and during the Azan and Namaz.

Chowdhury expressed concerns about maintaining law and order during the festivities, noting that the movement of people for Durga Puja can create issues. He mentioned, “Many Bangladeshi people travel to India for the festival while people from India visit Bangladesh.” To mitigate these issues, he suggested that better Puja mandaps be organized in border areas to minimize cross-border travel.

Chowdhury assured that the security of the Hindu community would be a priority, with measures in place from the creation of the idols to the celebrations. He said, “We have discussed ensuring 24-hour security at the Puja mandaps.”

This year, 32,666 Puja mandaps will be set up across the country, compared to 33,431 last year. Dhaka South City will have 157 mandaps, while Dhaka North City will have 88.

To enhance security, volunteers will be recruited from all Bangladeshi citizens, not just the Hindu community. Chowdhury specified that each Puja mandap should have at least two volunteers during the day and three at night.

The press conference was attended by Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, senior law enforcement officials, Bangladesh Puja Celebration Parishad President Basudev Dhar, and General Secretary Santos Sharma.