Ramakrishna Math, Dhaka, Bangladesh, celebrated Sri Sri Durga Puja with usual solemnity, festivity, and spiritual fervour like the previous years. Initially, due to security concerns, we decided not to hold the Kumari Puja this year at the Pandal outside and arrange the Puja inside the temple. Afterwards, having the security assurance from the Army chief of Bangladesh, we organized the Puja including the Kumari puja outside, and at the pandal in our Ashrama premises.
Both the physical and the virtual presences of the devotees were abundant. The entire program was streamed live.
The Puja on the Shashthi and Saptami days were held in the spontaneous participation of the devotees of Dhaka and other parts of the country. The weather was more or less congenial for the devotees throughout all the puja days. The sky was more or less sunny with however a few bouts of showers in between.
On the Shasti day, Brigadiar General Md. Nazim Uddin, additional director of Ansar and Village Defense Party (VDP) Bangladesh, came in the evening with his top officials to discuss the security issues of the Puja. In the evening, Mr. Harun-Ar-Rashid, chief of Rapid action Battalion (RAB) arrived along with top officials.
On Saptami, Mr. Pranay Verma, the Hon’ble High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh offered Pushpanjali before the deity accompanied with his wife and other high officials of the office of the High Commission.
On the day of Ashtami, Mr. Ghanshyam Bhandari, the Hon’ble Ambassador of Nepal in Bangladesh offered Pushpanjali before the deity. During the Kumari Puja about 15,000 devotees were present.
On the Navami day, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Md. A. Hamid zamadder paid a visit to Dhaka Math in the morning and met with the Head of the Centre and a little 
later Md. Moinul Islam, Inspector General of Bangladesh Police
and Mr. Mainul Hasan the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner, came to visit Ramakrishna Math, Dhaka. 
Law enforcement and Para Military forces were deployed to maintain law and order and to supervise the other security arrangements during the Puja. Nothing untoward happened. On Dashami day, immersion took place in the pond of our campus as on earlier occasions, and Shantijal ceremony was held in the presence of more than a five thousand devotees. Such a crowed was not seen ever at our Puja campus.
All the news media covered our programmes widely. In total 50,000 devotees took Kichudi prasad during the days of the Puja. All the news media covered our programmes widely.
Photo Link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ecvXb25MffivCchz8
