BGB deploys troops in 3 districts for Durga Puja security

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel will be deployed in Gopalganj, Madaripur and Faridpur, alongside border districts, to ensure security at Durga Puja venues. The BGB members will remain on duty in the three districts from October 16 to 22.

BGB Director Lieutenant Colonel Md Mahbub Murshed Rahman disclosed the information at a press conference held at the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, at 11:30am on Friday (October 16).

He said that, in line with the government’s latest directives, BGB personnel would be deployed in Gopalganj, Madaripur and Faridpur in addition to the border districts. Security operations would be conducted in coordination with the local administration, police and Puja celebration committees, he added.

At the press conference, the BGB official said its personnel would be responsible for security at 2,727 Puja mandaps across the country during the festival.

Of these, 1,425 mandaps are located within eight kilometres of the border, while 1,119 are situated within three kilometres of BGB battalion headquarters. Another 183 mandaps are in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

Lieutenant Colonel Mahbub Murshed Rahman said the Puja mandaps had already been inspected in person. Security plans had been drawn up after assessing access routes, local conditions and communication facilities, he added.

To facilitate security support at mandaps in remote and inaccessible areas, 21 base camps have been established.

The BGB director said the force was using an application called Sharadiya Surokkha to coordinate security operations. Monitoring cells had also been set up at BGB headquarters and at the field level to facilitate information-sharing, assess the situation and ensure timely action when necessary.

He said special surveillance measures would be in place to prevent rumours, misinformation and communal incitement during the festival. The BGB official urged everyone to verify the authenticity of sensitive information before sharing or publishing it.

He added that security forces and the administration would stand alongside members of the Hindu community to ensure they could observe their religious rituals and participate in the celebrations peacefully.

He expressed hope that, with everyone's cooperation, Durga Puja would remain peaceful and joyous throughout the festival.