Celebrations Hampered

Celebrations Hampered

During the auspicious Durga Puja that passed a few days ago, my friends had planned to celebrate the Mohaaustamee (the holy eighth day) in Narayanganj. We rented a microbus and accordingly set off on our trip. Amidst a festive spirit, we reached our destination in the evening following a daylong journey. The magnificent decorations of the temples dazzled us. Hordes of people along with their families and relatives were on the move to attend the festival. However, in spite of the huge number of visitors, concerned authorities did not organise the event properly, and among other things there was a lack of security and the entrance and the exit were one and the same.

We had to jostle ourselves into the massive crowd to pray and watch the colourful show of the mythical tale about the festivity displayed on the stage. In the meantime, one of our friends discovered that his cell-phone had been stolen from his pocket while he was managing his way into the entrance. With this revelation, our cheerful vibes were transfigured into anguish and trepidation.

As if this was not enough, a thief tried to snatch a ring from another friend's finger as we were returning from a different temple. Luckily, the friend was alert and therefore, could avert the occurrence. Feeling insecure, we shortened our schedule and went back to our houses. Had the concerned authorities deployed more manpower and effort, the devotees and visitors could have celebrated without the familiar trepidation that can often be felt in many crowded places over the country.

Ashim Kumar Paul
Government Edward College
Pabna

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