No joy, no celebrations in Panchagarh

Hemant Roy and Vasudev Roy are two brothers of  Arazi Shikarpur Battali village of  Boda Upazila of Panchargarh. Seven members of their families were going to a temple to celebrate Mahalaya by boat on the fateful day of September 25.  Five of them drowned in the Karatoya River when the boat sank.

“I have lost everything. I have lost my wife, my brother’s wife, and three grandchildren. I can’t find the words to say anything. Durga Puja brings no joy to us,” said Hemant Roy in a choked voice.

Not only Hemant and Vasudev, but grief also gripped many other families in Boda, Deviganj, Atwari and Sadar upazilas who have lost their near and dear ones in the terrible waterways accident in the country that claimed 69 lives.

The tragedy occurred on the day of Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, when an overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of the Karatoya river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple.

So far, 69 bodies were recovered while three others are still missing.

This is the worst waterways accident the country witnessed after the devastating fire incident in a Barguna-bound launch off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 last year when 50 lives were lost.

The Hindu community in Panchagarh are celebrating Durga Puja without festivities in honour of those who died in a boat capsize.

Panchagarh District Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad in Panchagarh took the decision on Friday, said Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad’s district president Jibodhan Bamman and general secretary Bipen Chandra Roy.

General Secretary of Panchagarh District Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad Shyamal Roy said 296 mandaps in the district are seeing subdued celebration this year.

They urged Hindus to wear black badges during puja, and offer special prayers at every puja mandap for the peace of the souls of the deceased on Saptami Tithi.

Besides, money collected from every puja mandap will be provided to the families of the deceased.

Durga puja began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.

The five-day festival will culminate with the immersion of idols on October 5.