Navratri is also a time of fear for the Hindus of Bangladesh. Islamists in Bangladesh have threatened the interim government of Bangladesh, which has assured all kinds of protection for the Durga Puja celebrations. Threatening letters to Hindu temples in Bangladesh stating that they will not be able to organize Durga Puja unless Rs 5 lakh is paid. The letter to several puja celebration committees said that if the money is not paid, they will face dire consequences.
The letter in Bengali language beginning with ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim’ was sent to the presidents and general secretaries of each temple. If the money is not paid, the recipient of the letter will face consequences like what happened to Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbub ul Alam Hanif. The letter sent by post also said that if the matter is told to the government or the media, it will shake its head. After the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, Hanif’s house was ransacked for days.
Representatives of four temples in Khulna who received threatening letters approached the police and lodged a complaint. It has been assured that the temples will be provided with the necessary protection. Dakop police station in-charge Sirajul Islam said that 24-hour patrolling with soldiers has been intensified. The temple authorities say that after receiving the threat letter, we are very worried. Devotees said that it would be better not to organize the puja this year, but in the end they decided to carry out the rituals and celebrations together. Some temple committees have decided not to organize Durga Puja due to threats. Lt. Home Secretary Lt. General Muhammad Jahangir Alam Chaudhary had asked the Hindu community. Lt. Lt. General Muhammad Jahangir Alam Chaudhary demanded.
All the Hindu committees agreed to follow his order. The Durga Puja Committees agreed to abide by the order because they were afraid of a brutal attack if they did not agree to it. After this, new threats have arrived. Durga Puja festival is the biggest festival of Hindus in Bangladesh Bangladesh has banned the import of hilsa fish to India as the Durga Puja celebrations are around the corner. Fish known as Padma Hilsa or Bangladeshi Ilish (king of fishes) is important in Bengali cuisine. Farida Akhtar, Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce in the Interim Government of Bangladesh, has banned fish imports in the name of ensuring adequate supply of fish to local consumers.
Ilish fish cannot be allowed to be imported so that our people cannot buy it. So this year, during Durga Puja, the Ministry of Vanij has been instructed to stop the export of Ilish to India. Hilsa fish is one of the special dishes during festivals including Durga Puja. It is called Padma Hilsa because it is obtained from Padma, one of the tributaries of Ganga. The price of Hilsa fish has skyrocketed after Bangladesh banned its export. Bangladesh accounts for 70% of the world’s hilsa production. With no arrival from Bangladesh, the demand for hilsa from Myanmar, Gujarat and Odisha has increased. Due to low availability of fish, Bangladesh imposed a general ban on hilsa exports from 2012 to 2020, but India was exempted from it.
