Bangladesh News

The Muslims in the country will celebrate their biggest religious festival Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow if the crescent moon heralding the month of Shawal is sighted anywhere in Bangladesh today.
The new moon will end the month-long fasting by the devoted Muslims during the month of Ramadan. The Muslims will offer Eid prayers seeking divine blessings and eternal peace, progress and prosperity of the people.

The feast of Eid-ul-Fitr is seen as a celebration and reward for abstention during Ramadan, when devotees observe daylong fasting. Families traditionally gather to offer meals, as well as to give treats and gifts for children. They also pay visits to relatives and friends and exchange greetings.

President Iajuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in separate messages greeted the nation on the eve of the Eid. They have sought divine blessings and peace, progress and prosperity of the country and the Muslim Ummah.

Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina in her message urged the rich people of the country to share their joy with the poor who face a hard time due to the high price of essentials. Sharing the joy with poor neighbours and relatives is the main theme of the Eid festival, Hasina said.

The 18-member National Moon Sighting Committee led by State Minister for Religious Affairs Mosharref Hossain Shahjahan sits today at the conference room of Islamic Foundation Bangladesh at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque to gather information about moon sighting.

If the moon is sighted, the committee will declare the Eid. Otherwise, the festival will be celebrated across the country on Wednesday.

The district-level moon-sighting committees will inform the national committee if the moon is sighted anywhere in the country. The deputy commissioners will also hold meetings at the district headquarters in this regard.

The committee will also collect information about the moon sighting from the meteorological department.

Thousands of people have already left Dhaka to celebrate the Eid with relatives and near and dear ones, giving the busy and crowded city a bit deserted look.

The main Eid congregation will be held at the Jatiya Eidgah on the High Court premises in the morning.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, senior ministers, government high-ups and the elite will say their Eid prayers at the Jatiya Eidgah on the High Court premises where the main Eid congregation of the capital will be held. Several large Eid congregations will also be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

BSS adds: All preparations have been made to hold congregations of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr in the city as well as across the country.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) will arrange the main Eid congregation at the National Eidgah at 8:30am. There will be special arrangement for women at this venue. The DCC has taken necessary steps to supply water and set up mobile toilets for the devotees.

In case of inclement weather, the main congregation will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at the same time.

The DCC will also organise more than 350 Eid congregations at different locations in the city. Five congregations will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7:30am, 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:30am and 11:15am. Congregations will also be held at all mosques in the city.

Two congregations will be held at the Dhaka University Central Mosque at 8:00am and at 8:45am. Two more will also be held on Shahidullah Hall lawn and Salimullah Muslim Hall premises at 8:30am and at 8:00am.

Three congregations will be held at Arambagh Bab-e-Rahmat at 8:00am, 9:30am and 10:00am, one at Gulshan Central Masjid and Eidgah at 8:30am, one at Lalmatia Block-G Masjid-e-Baitul Haram at 8:30am, one at Rahmatganj Muslim Friends’ Society Maidan at 9:00am, one at Siddeshwary High School Jame Mosque at 8:30am, one at Abuzar Gifari College at 8:00am, one at Kalyanpur Housing Estate Maidan at 8:30am.

The last Eid congregation in the city will be held at Dayemia Shahi Jame Masjid at Azimpur at 11:30am.

In Chittagong, preparations have been completed to set up 220 congregations. Of them, 93 will be arranged by the Chittagong Central Eid Jamaat Committee while 127 others by the Chittagong City Corporation.

Congregations at the Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium will be held at 8:45am and at Jamiatul Falah Mosque at 8:00am.

In Khulna, the main congregation will be held at Khulna Circuit House Maidan at 8:30am. One will be held at Khulna Town Jame Mosque at 9:30am. Congregations will also be held at other mosques of the city.

Meanwhile, some people in different parts of the country, especially the inhabitants of 40 villages in Chandpur district, are celebrating the Eid-ul-Fitr today following the Saudi Arabian lunar calendar, report our correspondents.