Durga Puja celebration continues peacefully in Rangpur. Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Oct 1, 2025 (BSS) - Celebration of the five-day Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Santan community, continues with due religious solemnity and fervor on the fourth day (Mahanavami) in Rangpur division today. 
 
Official sources said the administrations and authorities concerned, law enforcers and local units of Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad (BPUP) have taken adequate steps to ensure peaceful celebration of the religious festivity. 
 
The celebrations will end through immersion of idols erected in Puja mandaps of all eight districts in the division after celebration of the 'Mohadashami' tomorrow. 
 
The Puja mandap premises and adjoining areas have worn eye-catching festive looks with traditional fairs where local cottage industry products, handicrafts, toys, household goods, sweets and other things are being marketed well. 
 
The Sanatani devotees including men, women, boys, adolescents, girls and youths attired in colorful dresses thronged Puja mandaps on the Mahanavami today to have a glimpse at goddess Durga and sought blessings for the well-being of humanity.
 
The colorfully decorated and illuminated Puja mandap premises have become heavily crowded since Monday afternoon and overcrowded at nights, amid tight security measures. 
 
This year, a total of 5,343 Durga Puja mandaps have been erected in Rangpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur districts in the division. 
 
Talking to BSS at Shree Shree Karunamoyee Mandir Durga Puja Mandap in the city, devotees Anil Chandra Roy, Dipika Rani, Anutosha Kumar and Pushpa Rani expressed satisfaction over the security steps taken for peaceful celebration of Durga Puja.
 
"We are offering prayers, Puja, archana, kirtons and other religious rituals peacefully amid huge enthusiasm and cheerfulness," another devotee Sakuntola Rani said.
 
Dr Nikhilendra Shankar Guha Roy, convener of the district and metropolitan units of BPUP, said the Sanatan community people are celebrating the Durga Puja amid huge enthusiasm in all Puja mandaps in Rangpur city and all eight upazilas in the district 
 
He thanked the interim government, district and police administrations and authorities concerned for taking adequate steps to ensure peaceful celebrations of the Durga Puja. 
 
He also expressed happiness saying that the Sanatan devotees have been offering prayers, puja, archana, kirtons and performing other religious rituals peacefully without any problem. 
 
The officials, politicians, leaders of local units of BPUP for visiting the Puja mandaps and extending all necessary cooperation in ensuring peaceful celebrations of the religious festivity. 
 
While visiting different puja mandaps on Tuesday night, Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Md Majid Ali said that the Sanatan community is celebrating Durga puja amid huge enthusiasm at mandaps in all six police stations of Rangpur metropolis. 
 
"We have taken adequate measures and ensured the use of closed circuit cameras in every puja mandap and the police force and puja celebration committees are vigilant to ensure peaceful celebration of the festival," he said.
 
Deputy Inspector General for Rangpur Range Police Aminul Islam said ample steps have been taken with deployment of police, RAB-13, Highway Police and Ansar-VDP to ensure peaceful celebrations of Durga Puja in Rangpur division.