No puja celebration in Dinajpur protesting rape, murder

Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindus, began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.

But no celebration was seen in a Mandap in Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila, rather the Hindus of this area are protesting by hoisting black flags instead of drumming and cheering, demanding the arrest and punishment of the killers of a woman who was murdered after rape.

The incident took place at Kumarpara Sarvajanin Puja Mandap in Tongua of Bhervedi union. Sixty-four days back, a housewife named Upobala was killed after rape on her way home.

A case was filed but no one was arrested in this connection, said Dhiman Das, President of Khansama Upazila Puja Celebration Committee.

The case is now under investigation by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), he added.

Anant Kumar Roy, who joined the protest programme, said that they will not celebrate any religious festival with fanfare in the mandap until justice is done for Upobala’s murder.

Another protester, Nripendra Nath Roy said they boycotted their main festival only for getting justice for Upobala. Instead of celebrating Puja, they are holding a protest programme by hanging banners with anti-violence slogans on the entrance of the mandap titled ‘Stand united against communal evil’.