A total o 14170 puja mandaps will be se up across the country to celebrt te the upcoming Durga Puja, the biggest festival of the Hindus.

With the five-day festival beginning from October 17, the governin' nt has planned to beef up securi y measures for smooth celebratii n of the festival.

Polict and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) will be deployed at differei it puja mandaps, senior Rab offi :ials said at a view exchange meetingyesterday.

Amoni; 14170 puja mandaps, 831 will be set up in Dhaka, 5255 in Rajsh thi division, 1491 in Khulna division, 1231 in Chittago ig division, 2722 in Barisai division and 2640 in Sylhetdh ision.

The Rab officials said their forces w< uld be deployed across the conn ry from October 15 till the imrtersion of idols on October 11. The members of the elite fore will also set up temporary chet k posts on roads, conduct blo< k raids in hotels, slums andotliei places.

They v ill also conduct dog and bomb sw tepings in sensitive puja mandap i teas.

The v ew exchange meeting held at lab headquarters was

attended by Rab officials and businessmen.

Rab officials said that although they could not control the prices of essentials up to die expected level, their drives kept the prices stable.