Prime Minister Tarique Rahman signed off on a Taka 5 crore grant for Durga Puja this year, surpassing the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust’s request of Taka 4 crore. The allocation, made under the PM’s special consideration, stands as a direct political signal to the Hindu minority. It follows a turbulent period where attacks on Hindus spiked during the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. The government also bumped up the Buddhist Religious Welfare Trust’s allocation for Kathin Chibar Dan from Taka 2 crore to Taka 3 crore, broadening the outreach to non-Muslim communities.
The holiday structure has shifted too. In response to long-standing demands from the Hindu community, the state extended the official Durga Puja break to three days. Combined with the weekend, this creates a continuous five-day respite for government employees. State Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Shamim Kaiser directed local administration and law enforcement to maintain utmost vigilance. He cited the necessity of strict management, particularly during the idol immersion rituals, which often draw large crowds.
Security is the other half of this equation. Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed announced that responsibilities for safety have been assigned across national, divisional, district, and upazila levels. Authorities will utilize a mobile application developed by the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center (NTMC) to strengthen real-time monitoring. This digital push aims to counter the law-and-order incidents that targeted the Hindu community in recent years. The infrastructure for the festival is expanding as well, with 33,851 puja mandaps expected across the country. That is nearly 1,500 more sites than last year.
Rahman has made minority safety a core pillar of his administration. In his first address as Prime Minister, he declared Bangladesh a safe land for every citizen, regardless of religion or ethnicity. “Let us not think of ourselves as a majority and minority. Let us think of ourselves as Bangladeshi,” he recently told attendees at Janmashtami celebrations. India has repeatedly raised the issue of Hindu safety with Dhaka. The coming days will test whether these financial and security measures translate into tangible protection on the ground, as the first puja mandaps prepare for the October festivities.