Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr.Shahadat Hossain said the prime minister will visit the JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap to deliver a message on building a 'Rainbow Nation,' a Bangladesh defined by unity amid diversity.
He said the prime minister has pledged to create a country where everyone can live with equal dignity and rights, regardless of religion, caste, or community, and to build a non-discriminatory society founded on harmony, coexistence, and mutual respect.
The Mayor spoke today (17 October) afternoon while visiting the Puja Mandap at the historic JM Sen Hall, ahead of the prime minister's visit on 20 October during Sharadiya Durga Puja. After the visit, he distributed Puja gifts to 500 women from the Hindu community. Mohammad Abu Sufian ,MP was also present.
Speaking about the arrangements, the Mayor said the celebrations have begun and are going well across the city. He had consulted with stakeholders to set protocols for maintaining peace and order at the Puja Mandaps, ensuring smooth access for visitors, and keeping public movement unhindered.
CCC officials and personnel are working according to these decisions. 'I am working in a planned manner, in coordination with everyone involved,' he said. He added that executive officers and magistrates have been deployed to areas hosting Puja Mandaps, including Anderkilla and Dewan Bazar, while the city's cleaning department is working to keep the Mandaps and their surroundings clean and free of obstructions.
The mayor also detailed the financial support provided for the festival. A total of TK14.7 lakh has been distributed among 294 Puja Mandaps across the city's 16 police station jurisdictions. Separately, 5 lakh taka went to the JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap, 15 lakh taka to the Kusumkumari Puja Mandap in Jamal Khan under the CCC Puja Celebration Council, and 2 lakh taka, at 50,000 taka per colony, to the Harijan communities in four municipal worker ("Sebak") colonies. In all, grants of 36.7 lakh taka have been distributed.
The mayor said religious festivals strengthen harmony, goodwill, and cooperation among people. 'Chattogram is a city of communal harmony,' he said, and people of all faiths must be able to celebrate their festivals safely and without hindrance. Although people may have different religious identities, he said, the city belongs to everyone, and everyone must work together for its development, security, and well-being. He explained that a "Rainbow City" is one where every person can move about safely, observe their festivals, and live in a healthy, pleasant environment, which requires keeping the city clean, preserving the environment, safeguarding public health, and maintaining civic infrastructure.
MP Abu Sufian said the prime minister's visit to Chattogram is a source of great joy and part of a broader vision of building the nation by bringing everyone together. He said everyone is working in unison to make the visit a success.
Mohammad Ashraful Amin, Chief Executive Officer of the Chattogram City Corporation; Anisur Rahman, Chief Engineer; Professor Arpan Kanti Banerjee, President of the Metropolitan Puja Celebration Council; Advocate Nikhil Kumar Nath, General Secretary; and Biplab Sen, among others were present on the occasion.