Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the Durga Puja mandap at historic Radha Gobinda Dharmasabha Temple in Rangpur on Tuesday on Maha Navami, the ninth day of the Sharadiya festival of the Hindu community.

The Prime Minister reached the mandap at around 12:05pm, where he was welcomed by temple committee President Bhabatosh Sarkar Bacchu, General Secretary Khokon Sarkar, Rangpur district unit President of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad Ramjiban Kundu, Rangpur metropolitan unit General Secretary Prashanta Kumar Roy and Metropolitan Citizens’ Committee Member Secretary Palash Kanti Nag.

Tarique exchanged greetings with devotees at the mandap and waved to members of the Hindu community.

At their request, he also took selfies with enthusiastic devotees.

The Prime Minister left Tejgaon Airport in Dhaka at 9am by a military aircraft and reached Saidpur Airport at 9:50am.

Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad, Rangpur City Corporation Administrator Mahfuz Un Nabi Chowdhury Don, Rangpur Development Authority Chairman Shamsuzzaman Samu, Divisional Commissioner Jahangir Alam, DIG Aminul Islam, Deputy Commissioner Ishrat Jahan and Superintendent of Police Mohammad Mozammel Haque, among others, received him at the airport.

After completing formalities, Tarique travelled by road to Rangpur.

Hundreds of leaders and activists lined both sides of the road, including at Taraganj and Paglapir, to greet him.

The Prime Minister waved back at them from his motorcade.

He also briefly addressed party leaders and activists at the two points, urging them to work in unison for the country and its people.

This is Tarique’s first visit to Rangpur since he assumed office as Prime Minister following his party’s victory in the 13th parliamentary election.

After visiting the Rangpur mandap, he is scheduled to return to Saidpur Airport and fly to Rajshahi to visit the puja mandap at Dharmasabha Temple there.

He is also scheduled to visit a puja mandap in Chattogram before returning to Dhaka at night.

Prashanta Kumar Roy, general secretary of the Rangpur metropolitan unit of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, said Durga Puja is being celebrated at 964 mandaps across Rangpur district this year, an increase from the previous year.

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, will end on Wednesday with the immersion of idols on Bijoya Dashami.