Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali on Thursday said this year’s Durga Puja will be celebrated in a festive atmosphere.

He made the remarks while addressing a preparatory meeting with stakeholders at the DMP headquarters ahead of the Sharadiya Durga Puja.

The commissioner said the overall law-and-order situation remains stable and, as in previous years, the largest religious festival of the Hindu community will be observed smoothly through the joint efforts of all concerned.

In the beginning of the meeting, DMP Joint Commissioner (Operations) Md Shahidullah presented the security plan, noting that puja will be held at 258 mandaps across the capital.

In addition to mandap-based security, a separate traffic management plan will be implemented, he said, adding that comprehensive measures will also be in place on the day of immersion.

Additional Commissioner (Admin) Md Sarwar urged the authorities to repair and clean roads near puja mandaps for the convenience of visitors, while also emphasising fire safety guidelines.

Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam underscored the need for installing CCTV cameras around the mandaps and stressed that no venue should remain unprotected.

3-tier security measures taken ahead of Durga Puja: IGP

He also cautioned against the spread of misinformation or disinformation on social media during the festival.

Leaders of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, Mahanagar Puja Udjapan Parishad, Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikkya Parishad and Ramakrishna Mission, who attended the meeting, expressed satisfaction over the DMP’s preparations and thanked the authorities.

Additional commissioners of the DMP, as well as representatives of the armed forces, intelligence agencies and service organisations, were also present.