Bangladesh refuses to grant permission to Hindus to celebrate Durga Puja amid reports of vandalisation of idols

The government has cited poor security arrangements and threats as the reasons behind not granting permission to organise Durga Puja.

The reports of vandalisation of Durga idols have emerged from Comilla, Narail, Kishoreganj.

According to reports, radicals have been obstructing the celebration of the Hindu festival in Uttara, a region located close to capital Dhaka City.

Earlier, the radical Islamist groups organised several human chains in the name of local people against the Durga Puja in some sectors, including 11, 13 of Uttara, a witness told ANI news agency.

When tension rose in the area, the army and police held a meeting with the local leaders from Hindu and Muslim communities, they said.

Last year, the Hindu community performed Durga Puja in a field in Sector 11 of Uttara, but this time some worshippers of the nearby mosque and students of the madrasas formed a human chain there to stop the puja, they told the agency.

Meanwhile, the interim government on Wednesday recalled five envoys to India in a major overhaul in the appointments of diplomats.