Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Saturday imposed restricting on the use of sky lanterns in celebration of any occasion.

A DMP press release said the restriction was put in place on security ground.

DMP said, ‘It is now being noticed that some individuals or groups are blowing the balloons (sky lanterns) in different parts of the city. Later these sky lanterns are falling in various densely populated areas in the city. There are many security threats, including fire hazards. If it continues, there can be major disasters at any time.’

Seeking the cooperation from all, it said ‘All concerned are asked to refrain from blowing any type of balloon in Dhaka metropolitan area. We will enforce the legal procedure for ensuring the safety of the citizens if people do not follow the directions.’

Sky lanterns is widely used all over the world - especially in Asian regions - not just for a specific religion purposes, but for many socio-cultural activities and also for decorative purposes.

The press release, signed by DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, said the decision is taken to avert any untoward incident.