Mahbub Piyal, Faridpur 

 Faridpur District Police has instructed worship committees across 765 Durga Puja mandaps in the district to ensure 100 percent CCTV camera coverage by October 10 to guarantee tight security during the upcoming Sharad festival.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Shahriar Mohammad Miyaji issued the directive on Wednesday during a view  exchange meeting with Hindu community leaders and Puja celebration committees at the district police headquarters conference room.

According to district police data, the number of Puja mandaps in Faridpur has increased from 757 last year to 765 this year. The distribution includes 192 mandaps in Kotwali, 159 in Madhukhali, 130 in Boalmari, 88 in Bhanga, 61 in Nagarkanda, 43 each in Alphadanga and Saltha, 35 in Sadarpur, and 14 in Charbhadrasan.

While 644 mandaps currently have CCTV setups, only 504 are operational, leaving 140 non-functional units and 121 mandaps without any surveillance systems.

SP Shahriar Mohammad Miyaji stated that no negligence will be tolerated regarding mandap security, advising organizers to rent cameras or seek financial and technical assistance from the district administration, upazila administrations, and District Council if necessary to meet the October 10 deadline.

To reinforce ground security, Ansar personnel will be deployed across all mandaps from October 15 to October 21, with six members assigned to high-priority mandaps and four to standard sites. Police mobile patrols, immersion ghat security, volunteer oversight, and traffic management will also be intensified.

Furthermore, a dedicated cyber monitoring team has been activated to perform real-time fact-checking and counter misinformation, provocative content, or rumors on social media.

During the open discussion session, Hindu religious leaders commended the district police for the recent recovery of the historic Kali idol stolen from the Faridpur Old Kalibari. Senior police officials, community leaders, and local Islamic scholars were present at the meeting.