Bangladesh announces COVID-19 restrictions as Durga Puja approaches

Home Minister of Bangladesh, Asaduzzamn Khan, on October 4, issued various instructions that restricted certain activities during Durga Puja amid the pandemic. According to reports by DailyBangladesh, the instructions were announced in a virtual meeting and the leaders of the Sarbajanin Puja Committee have been asked to ensure that people follow all the provided instructions. Also, the Puja Udjapan Committee will be coordinating with the local administrations for managing the puja mandaps.

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Restrictions during Durja Puja 

Various health guidelines including social distancing, mandatory use of masks and hand sanitizers have also been issued. Police forces will be monitoring the situation during the festivities. According to a tally by the John Hopkins University, Bangladesh has a total of 368,690 cases with 5,348 fatalities.

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The Home Ministry has requested all the committees to limit the number of Puja Mandaps. The committees have also decided to lessen the number of public gatherings at the Puja Mandap. It has also been urged that various ceremonies should be held by keeping religious harmony in mind. The meeting further emphasized on making people aware of the second wave of the novel coronavirus. All committees have been asked to dial 999 in case of emergency.

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(Image Credits: PTI)