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BNP urges formation of volunteer teams at Durga Puja venues

Published : Tuesday, 13 October, 2026 at 4:59 PM

Observer Online Report

The BNP has called for the formation of Durga Puja monitoring committees at district, metropolitan, upazila and municipal levels, along with volunteer teams at individual puja mandaps, to ensure peaceful celebrations across the country.

The first meeting of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) Durga Puja monitoring committee was held at the party’s central office in Nayapaltan on Tuesday, October 13.

The meeting was chaired by committee convener and BNP Joint Secretary General Khairul Kabir Khokon, with member secretary and Joint Secretary General Syed Emran Saleh Prince conducting the proceedings. Other committee members were also present.

The meeting expressed satisfaction over the start of Durga Puja in a festive atmosphere across the country and called on BNP leaders and activists, including those from its affiliated organisations, to extend all-out support to ensure peaceful and uninterrupted celebrations.

The meeting said the BNP believes in the principle that religion is individual but the state belongs to everyone. It reaffirmed the party’s commitment to religious freedom, mutual respect and communal harmony, describing Eid, Durga Puja, Christmas and Buddha Purnima as integral parts of the country’s national heritage.

It also stressed that ensuring people of all faiths can observe their religious festivals without hindrance is a collective responsibility.

The meeting said the party had already issued necessary instructions to BNP and affiliated organisations at district, metropolitan, upazila, municipal and union levels under the directives of BNP Chairman and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The party’s divisional organising secretaries and joint organising secretaries are coordinating activities in their respective divisions.

Local BNP committees were urged to form monitoring committees and involve prominent members of the Hindu community alongside senior party leaders.

The meeting welcomed government measures for this year’s celebrations, including increasing the rice allocation for each puja mandap from 500kg to 600kg, raising the grant through the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust from Tk 4 crore to Tk 5 crore, and adding an extra day to the holiday.

It called for volunteer teams comprising BNP and affiliated organisation members at each puja mandap to assist with celebrations, maintain security and order, and help preserve a peaceful festive atmosphere.

The meeting also decided that the BNP would support the government’s overall Durga Puja arrangements. Party representatives will visit puja mandaps in Dhaka and other parts of the country in phases and coordinate assistance with local puja celebration committees.

After the meeting, committee members, led by Khokon and Prince, visited Ramakrishna Mission in Gopibagh, Dhaka, to review preparations. Maharaj Ambeshananda welcomed the delegation and briefed them on the arrangements.

Those attending included BNP Joint Organising Secretary Jayanta Kumar Kundu, marginal workforce development affairs secretary Aparna Roy Das, assistant religious affairs secretaries Amalendu Das Apu and John Gomes, BNP executive committee member and MP Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury, Ramesh Dutta, Debashish Roy Madhu, Jubo Dal central committee assistant religious affairs secretary Partha Deb Mondal, former Chhatra Dal vice-president Joydeb Roy and Dhaka University Chhatra Dal president Ganesh Chandra Roy Sahas, among others.

The party has also revised its Durga Puja monitoring committee, replacing Milton Baidya with BNP executive committee member Debashish Roy Madhu.

The meeting welcomed the government’s measures to ensure that the first Durga Puja under the current BNP government, led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, is celebrated in a joyful and festive atmosphere.

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