Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Sunday warned that tougher action will be taken against those spreading rumours or inciting communal unrest on social media centring Durga Puja.

The adviser came up with the warning while briefing reporters after a meeting of the Core Committee on Law and Order at the Secretariat.

He said that there will be 33,355 Puja mandaps across the country this year, nearly an increase by over 1000 compared to the past year.

To ensure security, Ansar members have been deployed since September 24 and will remain on duty until October 2, he said, adding that nearly one lakh security personnel, including Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) platoons have been deployed for the Puja security.

Besides, seven members from each Puja committee will perform round-the-clock duty, while some 80,000 volunteers assigned by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs have been linked through the NTMC app for community-level vigilance, he said.

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Nearly 70,000 police personnel are also engaged alongside intelligence surveillance at vulnerable temples, said the adviser, adding, “Rumour-mongers and communal instigators on social media will face strict action. We have already received reports of such attempts in different areas.”

Responding to a query, he said, “Chief Adviser has already informed the UN that elections will be held in February. We are preparing our law-and-order measures keeping that in mind.”

On possible sabotage during Puja, the adviser dismissed concerns saying that there is no threat.

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“I personally visited mandaps in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Munshiganj and found no sign of unrest. A handful of fascist collaborators are trying to spread panic, but they will not succeed,” Jahangir Alam added.