Home Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has urged citizens to celebrate Sharadiya Durga Puja with devotion while maintaining the festival’s sanctity and security.

The adviser made the remarks on Tuesday afternoon after visiting the Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka, emphasizing the need for vigilance to prevent anti-social activities at Puja mandaps.

“Durga Puja is a sacred religious festival. Its sanctity must be preserved. Devotees should ensure no one enters the mandaps wearing shoes and remain cautious throughout the celebrations,” he said.

Lt Gen (Retd.) Chowdhury also referred to recent attempts to disrupt Puja in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, describing them as small-scale efforts by miscreants aided by extremist elements. “Their plans were completely foiled thanks to the cooperation of traditional devotees and all concerned,” he added.

The briefing was attended by notable community leaders, including Basudev Dhar, President of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, and Jayanta Kumar Deb, President of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sarbajanin Puja Committee.