Bangladesh government has banned the use of crackers during the festivities of Durga Puja, the largest Hindu religious festival of the country that starts next week.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan made the announcement after a meeting over the arrangement of law and order during the Puja festivities all over Bangladesh.

This time also, fairs and stalls outside the mandaps will be disallowed, the minister said in a briefing after the meeting held with Puja arrangement committee leaders.

According to the statistics he provided, this year 30,077 mandaps will be built all across the country. In Dhaka city alone, the Puja will be hosted across 231 mandaps.

Law enforcers will be deployed for five days, starting from the first day on October 26, throughout the Puja mandaps until the immersion of Durga in Bijoya Dashami on October 30.

The immersion of Durga’s idol has been limited within the timeframe of 3:00pm to 8:00pm.

Minister Asaduzzaman Khan urged the Puja arrangement committee leaders to install close circuit cameras and metal detectors in the mandaps. He warned, hooligans will be dealt with harshly.