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Wednesday | October 21, 2026 | Dhaka

Police find no conspiracy in 34 incidents ahead of Durga Puja

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:09 AM, 21 October 2026

Police have found no evidence of a coordinated conspiracy to undermine communal harmony or disrupt Durga Puja after verifying 34 reported incidents ahead of the festival, including cases of idol damage, vandalism and clashes.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, Bangladesh Police said field-level investigations identified various causes behind the incidents, including personal disputes, theft, disagreements over government grants and accidental damage.

The statement came after media reports cited complaints by the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and the Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee about attacks, idol vandalism and theft at temples in 34 locations.

Police highlighted six incidents in Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Pabna, Thakurgaon and Tangail to explain their findings, saying the circumstances did not support allegations that the incidents had been deliberately orchestrated to target religious minorities or disrupt the festival.

In Narayanganj’s Araihazar, part of a demon figure accompanying an idol was slightly damaged while the idol was being unloaded at Ramchandradi Madhya Monipara Sarbojanin Durga Puja Mandap on October 16.

Local organisers said the damage was accidental and resulted from carelessness during unloading. A general diary (GD) was filed with Araihazar Police Station the following day.

In Mymensingh, a dispute between two neighbouring families over the picking of betel nuts escalated into stone-throwing on October 5 in Rishipara under Kotwali Police Station.

A 58-year-old woman, Moyna Rani Das, was injured, while parts of a Ganesh idol awaiting painting were damaged.

Organisers said the incident stemmed from a longstanding dispute between the families.

In Pabna’s Sujanagar, a woman allegedly tore the canopy of the Durga Puja pavilion at Radhanagar Sarbojanin Durga Mandir on October 15. Police took her into custody after temple authorities reported the incident.

Local residents and organisers reportedly said she had been staying in the area for several days and was mentally unstable.