Dakope temple flyers, 'To do Durga Puja, you have to pay Tk 5 lakh contribution'
If you want to perform Durga Puja, each temple will have to pay a contribution of five lakh rupees - the leaders of the Puja celebration committee of various temples of Dakop Upazila of Khulna have received such leaflets. The letter has threatened that if the administration or journalists tell this, they will be 'punished'. Ever since the letter was received, there has been concern among the people of the Hindu community in the area. Some temples have decided not to worship.
This letter started coming to the presidents and general secretaries of various temples last Wednesday. A general diary (GD) has been lodged with Dakop police station on behalf of four different temples of the upazila on Friday.
The general secretary of a temple committee in Dakop told Prothom Alo on the condition of anonymity that since receiving the letter by post, some kind of anxiety has been working among them. After receiving the letter on Wednesday, they held a meeting with the people of the area at night. Most of the people there are in favor of not worshiping. Later, everyone remained steadfast in their decision to worship together. Since now the area is being guarded every day. However, some temple committees have decided not to perform the puja.
Shekhar Chandra Goldar, President of Kamarkhola Sarvajanin Durga Puja Celebration Committee of Dakop, told Prothom Alo, "This year, there was a discussion of doing puja on a very small scale instead of grandiose puja." But after receiving such letters, our members are no longer interested. This year we have to stop the puja.
Sirajul Islam, officer-in-charge of Dakop police station, told Prothom Alo, "GDs have been made from four temples on Friday regarding that flyer." We are investigating. Efforts are being made to protect the temple from our side. We are patrolling regularly from the police station along with the army team. The village police and union-based police officers are on round-the-clock patrol.