Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, has began at temples and makeshift mandaps across the country amid due religious fervour and festivity. The 5-day celebration began with invocation of Goddess Durga on the day of Maha Shasthi. This year Durga Puja is being celebrated at 32, 666 mandaps across the country including 257 in the capital. President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus greeted people of the Hindu community on the occasion of Durga Puja.  Extensive security measures taken for peaceful Durga Puja celebration: DMP Chief The government extended Duga Puja holiday by a day to facilitate its joyous celebration. Ahead of Durga Puja, security has been significantly ramped up nationwide. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Md Mainul Islam on Monday said that members of the Ansar and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be on 24-hour duty at each mandap to ensure a safe and peaceful celebration. Durga Puja holiday extended by one more day During a press briefing at Dhakeshwari Temple today, the IGP emphasized that the Bangladesh Police, alongside other law enforcement agencies, are taking extensive measures to create a festive environment. The interim government has issued a set of instructions for the local administration and law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order situation during the Durga Puja celebrations across the country.

Durga puja, the largest religious festival of the minority Hindus, will culminate in Bangladesh, with the immersion of idols on Wednesday evening. On the last day of the puja, devotees are thronging mandaps in Dhaka and elsewhere across the country for Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the grand festival, to celebrate the triumph of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. On this day, families visit each other and exchange sweetmeat. Married Hindu women put vermilion on each other's forehead on the occasion. In Bangladesh this year, the religious festival is being celebrated at some 32,168 puja mandaps across the country, including 241 in Dhaka. In the capital, thousands of people are set to throng the Buriganga on Wednesday to observe the final phase of the festival -- the immersion of the Goddess Durga. Devotees in their tearful eyes will bid farewell to the mother deity and her children – Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh – as the idols will be immersed, wishing the Goddess Durga’s return next year. Meanwhile, there will be strict security measures in place so that Durga puja ends peacefully. The five-day festival started on October  with the incarnation (Bodhon) of the Goddess Durga marking Sashthi. Durga Puja, the annual Hindu festival also known as Sharadiya (autumnal) Durga Utsab, is the worship of "Shakti" (divine force) embodied in the Goddess Durga. It symbolises the battle between good and evil where the dark forces eventually succumb to the divine. Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid has greeted the members of the country's Hindu community on the occasion. In his message, President Hamid said the main religious festival of the Bengali Hindu community is Durga Puja. "The country’s Hindu community has been celebrating the puja amid huge enthusiasm and festivity with different rituals since ancient times."

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, began on Monday with the incarnation (Bodhon) of goddess Durga at temples across the country, marking Sashthi. The five-day puja will come to an end with the immersion of idols of goddess Durga in rivers and other water bodies on October 15. Read: Bagerhat gears up for Durga Puja All the preparations have been taken for celebrating the religious festival smoothly maintaining health protocols. The Mahasaptami puja will be held on Tuesday while Mahashtami, Kumari Puja and Sandhi Puja on Wednesday, Mahanabami puja on Thursday and Biyoya Dashami will be held on Friday.  Recitation of the verses from the Holy Chandi and blowing of conch shells (Shankha) and beating of drums will be heard in temples and pandals in the city and elsewhere throughout the day. Adequate security measures have been taken for smooth celebrations of the festival. Read: Security beefed up for Durga puja celebration: DMP Commissioner According to Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, this year 32,118 puja mandapas have been set up across the country, while the number was 30,213 last year. Additional members of police, Ansar, Rapid Action Battalion and other law enforcement agencies have been deployed at puja mandaps to ensure a full-proof security.

Hindus across Bangladesh are celebrating Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion that heralds the advent of Goddess Durga, on Wednesday. Considered as a ceremonial invocation of Goddess Durga, Mahalaya is observed a week prior to Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community. Read:Durga Puja: Covid crumbles market for Kurigram artisans Hindus believe the earth prepares itself and welcomes the coming of the Goddess and her children, through the celebrations. Durga Puja will begin on October 11 on the day of Maha Shashthi. On Mahalaya, the Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee has arranged special programmes at Dhakeshwari Temple. Read: Durga Puja: 23 tonnes of Hilsa sent to India through Benapole On this day, Hindus remember and pay homage to their deceased ancestors by performing a puja, and offering Brahmins clothes, food and sweets in their names.

Sharadiya Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, ended on Monday with the immersion of idols of goddess Durga and her children on the fifth day of celebration.