Dhaka: To ensure a safe environment during Christmas, New Year’s celebrations, and the Thirty-First Night Festival, all types of fireworks, sky lanterns, kite flying, and torch processions have been declared prohibited for an unspecified period.
On Monday (December 18), this order was issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Habibur Rahman in a press release.
The press release states that since the main religious festival for Christian communities, Christmas, falls on December 25, and the celebration of the English New Year begins on December 31 in various areas of Dhaka Metropolitan City, residents will participate in various festive celebrations voluntarily. This festive celebration often involves some individuals engaging in activities that go against their cultural values and traditions.
Therefore, utilizing the authority vested in me under Sections 28 and 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance (Ordinance No. 76), I, DMP Commissioner Habibur Rahman, hereby declare the prohibition of all kinds of fireworks, sky lanterns, kite flying, torch processions, etc., during an unspecified period starting from midnight on December 18, aiming to conclude the celebrations of Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in a peaceful and safe environment. The order will remain effective until further notice.
It is noteworthy that in the past few years, incidents of accidents during the celebration of Thirty-First Night under the name of “Thirty-First Night Celebration” involving fireworks, sky lanterns, and kite flying have occurred. Last year, within a short period of starting the Thirty-First Night Celebration, news of almost 200 fire incidents from all over the country reached the control room of the Fire Service and the emergency hotline 999.
Fire Service investigations reveal that the majority of these fire incidents occurred due to flying lanterns. However, a few fires also occurred due to fireworks. After these incidents, discussions, and criticisms regarding the burning of fireworks during the Thirty-First Night Celebration started on social media.
Many citizens wrote on Facebook that fireworks were causing incidents by landing on the roofs of various buildings due to the wind. Some wrote that due to the presence of mild wind, burning fireworks went into houses, creating fire incidents. In addition, many commented that the low-quality fireworks, flown before being properly lit, fell onto the roofs of houses before exploding.
