Durga Puja brings no joy to boat capsize victims' families
No festivities in Panchagarh
Tuesday, 4 October 2022
PANCHAGARH, Oct 03 (UNB): Hemant Roy and Vasudev Roy are two brothers of Arazi Shikarpur Battali village of Boda Upazila of Panchargarh. Seven members of their families were going to a temple to celebrate Mahalaya by a boat on the fateful day of September 25. Five of them drowned in the Karatoya River when the boat sank.
"I have lost everything. I have lost my wife, brother's wife, and three grandchildren. I can't find the words to say anything. Durga Puja brings no joy to us, "said Hemant Roy in a chocked voice.
Not only Hemant and Vasudev, grief gripped many other families in Boda, Deviganj, Atwari and sadar upazilas who have lost their near and dear ones in the terrible waterways accident in the country that claimed 69 lives.
The tragedy occurred on the day of Mahalaya, the auspicious occasion heralding the advent of goddess Durga, when an overloaded passenger boat carrying around 80 people, mostly Hindu devotees, sank in the middle of Karatoya river while heading towards Badheshwar Temple.
So far, 69 bodies were recovered while three others are still missing.
This is the worst waterways accident the country witnessed after the devastating fire incident in a Barguna-bound launch off the coast of Jhalakathi on December 24 last year when 50 lives were lost.
The Hindu community in Panchagarh are celebrating Durga Puja without festivities in honour of those died in boat capsize.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad's district president Jibodhan Bamman and general secretary Bipen Chandra Roy said, "Panchagarh District Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad in Panchagarh took the decision on Friday."
General Secretary of Panchagarh District Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad Shyamal Roy said that 296 mandaps in the district are seeing subdued celebration this year.
They urged Hindus to wear of black badges during puja, offer special prayers at every puja mandap for the peace of the souls of the deceased on Saptami Tithi.
Besides, money collected from every puja mandap will be to be provided to the families of the deceased.
Durga puja began on Saturday, with the incarnation (bodhon) of the Goddess in temples across the country.
The five-day festival will culminate with the immersion of idols on October 05.