The government has significantly increased its budget for the Durga Puja festival this year, said Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Mohammad Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Saturday.

Talking to reporters during a visit to the Santoshpara Durga Mandir Puja Mandap in Rashunia union of Sirajdikhan upazila, he said that previous allocations ranged from Tk 2 to 3 crore, while this year’s budget stands at Tk 4 crore.

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Chowdhury also said that security measures for the festival have been enhanced compared to previous years. “A large number of law enforcement personnel, including the army, RAB and police, have been deployed to maintain order at Puja Mandaps,” he added.

Earlier, on Saturday, the Home Adviser visited another Puja Mandap in Srinagar upazila.

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Dhaka Range DIG AKM Awlad Hossain, Deputy Commissioner Fatematul Jannat, Superintendent of Police Muhammad Shamsul Alam Sarkar, Sirajdikhan Upazila Executive Officer Sabbir Ahmed and OC Khandkar Hafizur Rahman, among others, accompanied the adviser.