A total of 818 Durga Puja mandaps will be set up across 17 upazilas in Cumilla district this year, with 950 police personnel deployed in small teams round-the-clock to ensure security. Of these, idols will be immersed at 765 mandaps.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Nazrul Ahmed Khan shared the security measures at a press conference held Tuesday at the Shaheed ABM Abdul Halim Auditorium of Cumilla Police Lines.

He said fixed police posts will be set up at important and vulnerable mandaps, while a Detective Branch (DB) quick response team will also remain on standby. “The district police have taken special measures so that the biggest festival of the Hindu community, Sharadiya Durga Puja, can be celebrated with joy and enthusiasm,” he added.

Hindu community leaders attending the press conference said they do not want a repeat of any past incidents. Shyamal Kumar Saha, convener of Puja Udjapan Front Cumilla Metropolitan, said separate meetings with the district administration and police had been successful, and so far, they were satisfied with the arrangements. Alongside law enforcers, volunteers will also be deployed at each mandap, with all sites brought under CCTV coverage.

The SP further said the police will work in three phases — before, during and after the festival — with intelligence teams operating continuously. A special team will monitor social media to prevent the spread of rumors and propaganda. In remote areas, police will reach mandaps by boat, he said, adding that no fairs will be allowed near mandap premises.

Additional SPs Rashedul Islam and Pankaj Barua, along with other senior police officials, were present at the briefing.