Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Hindu community, is knocking at the door. Idol-makers in Bogura and adjacent districts are passing a busy time as the number of pujas has increased in the district.

Around 150 artisans are making Durga idols here. They are now busy putting finishing touches to the idols. They are pleased with the orders they have received inside the district and also from Joypurhat, Nagoan, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Sirajganj.

Kajal Pramanik, an idol-maker, said they are likely to earn good money as the price of each idol has increased from Tk. 4,000 to Tk. 7,000 this year.

Another idol-maker, Niranjan Kumar, however rued the lack of workers in this trade.

The artisans appealed to the administration to allot them a space to continue their work round the year because inclement weather sometimes proves a major impediment at this time of the year, There are some 300 workers at different areas in and outside the town. A worker is paid Tk. 6,000–7,000  month on a contract basis for making idols.

Meanwhile, a preparatory meeting in the run up to Durga Puja was held at the conference room of Sonatan Dharma Mondir on October 2. District Puja Celebration Committee president Dilip Kumar Deb was present at the meeting, which was directed by Sagar Kumar Roy, secretary of the district unit Puja Celebration Committee. Those present at the meeting discussed beefing up security measures during the festival.

Sources said that some 671 puja pandals would be set up in the district this year.

Bogra police super Md Ali Asraf Bhuiyan said that security measures would be taken to avoid any untoward incident.

Deputy commissioner (DC) Md. Fayez Ahmmad also promised tight security measures during the festival.

Our Chuadanga correspondent reports: Durga Puja is going to be celebrated from October 4 to October 8 in a joyful mood. All preparations have been completed by the devotees in four upazilas of the district recently.

Suresh Kumar Saha, president of the Chuadanga Boro Bazaar Mandir, said they would give the finishing touches to the pandal and the idol one day before the puja festival.

The festival will be concluded on October 8 after immersion of idols in rivers, cannels and beels in the district.  

The relief and rehabilitation department of Chuadanga allocated 55,500 metric tonnes of rice to puja pandals for their development.

Chuadanga police super Jahidul Islam said they would try to promote harmony among the people in the district. Over 3,995 police and Ansar members will be deployed at the puja pandals in the district to monitor the law and order situation.

Deputy commissioner Najrul Islam Sarker arranged a meeting on Durga Puja at its conference room on September 22. Senior officials, police officers, civil society representatives and members of Hindu Parishad were present.

Sarker urged everyone to help the administration to keep harmony among people.