3-day Raas Mela begins at Dublar Char Thursday

The three-day traditional Raas Mela will begin at Dublar Char Island near the Sundarbans on Thursday.

Thousands of people, irrespective of their faith, are expected to throng the festival at Alorkol, located along the coast of the Bay of Bengal under Sharankhola upazila of the district.

Ras Utsab Udjapan Committee member secretary Somnath Dey said Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla will inaugurate the three-day festival while Industries Minister Amir Hossian Amu will be present as the chief guest.

The Forest Department has fixed eight waterways for devotees and visitors to go to Dublar Char to join the Raas Mela. No one will be allowed to take any route other than the permitted ones.

The eight entry points are-Dhangmari in Sundarbans, Chandpai, Bogi, Sharankhola, Supti Station, Jelepalli patrol camp, Dubla, Burigoalini, Kobadak, Kadamtala, Koikhali, Baniakhali and Nalian Station. 

Carrying of firearms, explosives, hunter net, trap and rope have been prohibited in the area to check the poaching of deer and other wild animals.

Besides, authorities have banned fishing inside the Sundarbans for a week during the festival. 

The devotees will have to pay Tk 50 while the visitors Tk 70 and the foreign tourists Tk 1000 each as fee to enter the festival venue. Besides, registered trawlers will have to pay Tk 2000 for transporting people to and from Raas Mela for three days.

Md Mahmudul Hasan, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Zone, said they have taken strong security measures for the three-day festival.

Eight check-posts were set up at the entry points and 16 teams consisting of forest department officials have been formed to monitor all kinds of illegal activities, he added. 

Besides, police, Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy members will patrol different parts of the forest. 

Pankaj Chandra Roy, Superintendent of Bagerhat Police, said adequate security measures have been taken to make the journey of devotees and tourists undisrupted.

Several teams of joint forces consisting of district police, river police and forest guards will patrol to ensure security of the devotees and the visitors, he added.

Source: unb