Dhaka [Bangladesh], July 13 : General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh Srimat Bhaktimoy Nitai Swami on Monday expressed optimism ahead of the scheduled Rath Yatra from July 16 to 24.
"We are not afraid. The government is helping us by providing security," Nitai Swami stated, expressing confidence in the government's support.
Speaking with ANI after the ISKCON leaders' discussion with the media at the Swami Bagha Ashram in Dhaka regarding the Sri Sri Jagannath Dev Rath Yatra festival, the General Secretary provided details of the festival.
"The festival will begin on the 16th at 8:00 AM with the Agnihotra Yagya, a sacred fire sacrifice. Following this, our 'Dharma Sabha' meeting will start at 1:00 PM and conclude by 3:00 PM. The Rath Yatra (Chariot Procession) itself will commence at 3:00 PM from the Swamibagh Temple. It will pass through the major busy and commercial areas of Dhaka city," he said.
Further projecting a figure for footfall during the festival, he said that "We expect around 100,000 devotees to participate in the procession, and I estimate that nearly one million people from all backgrounds--Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Christians--will watch the festival along the route."
He noted that the Rath Yatra will end at the Dhakeshwari Temple around 6:00 PM, where thousands more will join for the concluding program.
"We believe it will be a wonderful event. We are not afraid, as the government is providing us with strong security and support. I am confident we will celebrate the Rath Yatra festival beautifully," he added.
In Bangladesh, ISKCON will hold the Rath Yatra festival from July 16 to 24. Additionally, it will be organised in 188 places across the country, with various events held in a festive environment.
Notably, the government has made extensive preparations regarding security.
Earlier on Sunday, a coordination meeting was held at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Headquarters regarding security, law and order, and traffic management on the occasion of the upcoming Rath Yatra, a major festival of the Hindu community.
The meeting took place on Sunday at 11:00 AM (local time) in the conference room of the DMP Headquarters, presided over by the DMP Commissioner, Mosleh Uddin Ahmed.
During the meeting, the measures and directives taken by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police for the celebration of the Rath Yatra on July 16 and the Ulto Rath Yatra on July 24 were discussed.
It was informed that adequate police personnel, including picket parties, patrol parties, CCTV monitoring, foot patrols, rooftop parties, motorcycle mobiles, DB teams, plainclothes intelligence teams, SWAT teams, bomb disposal teams, and traffic police, will be deployed, DMP said in a press release on Sunday.
A unanimous decision was reached to ensure that the Rath Yatra concludes along the designated routes and within the specified timeframes.
Furthermore, requests were made to refrain from playing loudspeakers/mics during the adhan (call to Muslim prayer) and prayer times, to deploy dedicated volunteers, to avoid participating in the procession with bags or bundles, and to immediately inform the police upon spotting any suspicious person or object, the release added.