Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanom said on Thursday night that the authorities would arrest six youths within 48 hours who stormed into a puja stage and sang two songs, including an Islamic one, claiming they would only sing a patriotic song.
“No matter who they are and how powerful they are, they will be arrested within the next 24 to 48 hours,” she said while visiting the JM Sen Hall Puja mandap.
A group of six youths disrupted the puja stage at JM Sen Hall, the largest puja mandap in the port city, and sang two songs, which angered the Hindu community, who were peacefully celebrating Durga Puja.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, with some claiming that the offenders were Shibir members, although the identities of the youths have yet to be confirmed.
“We can’t take it lightly. This is a heinous act. We are trying to identify them through proper authorities,” Bangladesh Puja Celebration Committee, Chattogram General Secretary Sukanta Mohajan Tutul told UNB at the puja venue.
He mentioned that the youths initially informed the Puja Committee members that they would sing a patriotic song but instead sang two Islamic songs.
Tutul added that they had identified the individuals as members of the Chattogram Cultural Academy.
Rumour Scanner, an independent Bangladeshi fact-checking website that debunks fake news, myths, and misinformation, confirmed that the viral video was real and unedited.
DC Farida Khanom criticised the person in charge of the stage at the time, stating that they did not perform their responsibilities properly.
She also urged the Puja Celebration Committee to take action against the person responsible for managing the stage.
“Bangladesh is a country of religious harmony. This is a festival for all. We have taken all necessary preparations to ensure peaceful celebrations of the festival,” she said.
Puja Committee President Ashish Bhattacharya said the incident was hurtful and assured the local administration that they would suspend the person who was in charge of the stage.
Speaking to UNB, Tutul explained that they arranged cultural functions in two sessions and that the incident took place during the first session.
CA's Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir, Assistant Press Secretaries Nayem Ali and Shuchismita Tithi, and senior government officials visited the site and talked to the Puja Committee members.
President of the Chattogram Cultural Academy, Selim Jaman, claimed that the Puja Committee had invited them to perform.
About 2,000 police personnel were deployed in the city to ensure security during Durga Puja.
In Chattogram, Durga Puja is being celebrated at 2,458 locations, including 293 puja mandaps in the city and 2,165 in 15 upazilas of the district.
Earlier, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus extended greetings to all members of the Hindu community in the country and reiterated that Bangladesh is a country of communal harmony.
