Sholakia Eidgah under tight security
The biggest congregation for Eid-ul-Fitr in the country will take place at the Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj district.
The security forces will remain vigilant at this large Eid jamaat, following a militant attack at the site last year.
The district administration has been preparing the grounds. Thousands of policemen will be deployed at the prayer grounds and surrounding areas to ensure security.
"All those joining the congregation will be checked by metal detectors. Eight watch towers and over a thousand of close circuit cameras within and outside of the grounds will be set up to thwart any subversive attempts," SP Md Anwar Hossain Khan said.
He said, following the militant attack last Eid at Sholakia, besides the police, eight platoons of BGB, 20 platoons of APBN and plainclothes police personnel and thousands of volunteers will remain around the Eidgah.
Deputy commissioner of the district Md Azimuddin Biswas, also heading the executive committee of Sholakia Eidgah, said that all the necessary arrangements had been made for the 189th congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr at the historical Eidgah.
Muslims from all over the country and from abroad arrived at the district town two or three days ahead of the Eid to attend the this long-standing traditional congregation at the Sholakia Eidgah, he said.
Azimuddin said, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure sanitation and adequate water supply for the devotees.
Chairman of Islahul Muslimeen Council and president of Jamaat-e-Ulema Maulana Md Fariduddin Masud is scheduled to lead the Eid jamaat this year, which will take place at 10:00am on Eid day.
A special munajat (prayer) will also be offered seeking divine blessings for peace, development and welfare of the people of the country as well as Muslim Ummah.
The number of devotees attending this congregation at the largest Eidgah of the subcontinent is steadily increasing. Over 300 thousand devotees come here to offer their Eid prayers every year.
A huge number of devotees from across the world, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Pakistan and England, will attend the Eid prayers.
Different TV channels will cover the Eid congregation live and special train services are arranged by the concerned ministry.
The first Eid congregation on this ground was held in 1828 when a local Dewan, Sayeed Ahmed of Haibatnagar Dewan Bari of the town, conducted the Eid jamaat on one of the fields of his own land. This later became known as the Sholakia Eidgah.
The name Sholakia comes from ‘shoa lakh’, meaning 125,000, being the number of people that had come to offer their Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the Eidgah the first time.
The surrounding area was also named Sholakia afterwards. Later, another Dewan, Mannan Dad Khan, gave 4.35 acres of land for the Eidgah in 1950. The Sholakia Eidgah now has about 7 acres of land. The Eidgah stands on the bank of the Narsunda river.
There are about 265 rows, each of which can accommodate 600 devotees at the Eidgah. So the main field can accommodate some 159,000 devotees. However, more than three lakh devotees offer their prayers here, using the nearby roads, open spaces and courtyards of surrounding houses.
Three special trains will operate on Bhairab-Kishoreganj and Kishoreganj-Mymensingh routes to facilitate the movement of Sholakia-bound Muslim devotees.
Locals alleged that the ground lacks sufficient facilities to accommodate devotees who come to attend the congregation from long distances. Addressing this issue the deputy commissioner said that they have plans to call for a tender to build the facilities.
Four people were killed and at least 15 injured after seven or eight militants swooped on the police with guns, bombs and machetes just before the Eid-ul-Fitr congregation began at the historic Sholakia ground on 7 July, 2016.
A local youth Zahidul Haq Tanim and Anwar Hossain of Gaibanda district are presently in Kishoreganj jail in connection with this attack and the case is under process, said investigation officer of Solakia attack case and OC (investigation) of Kishoreganj model police station Muhammad Murshed Zaman.
The number of devotees attending this congregation at the largest Eidgah of the subcontinent is steadily increasing. Over 300 thousand devotees come here to offer their Eid prayers every year.
A huge number of devotees from across the world, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India, Pakistan and England, will attend the Eid prayers.
Different TV channels will cover the Eid congregation live and special train services are arranged by the concerned ministry.
The first Eid congregation on this ground was held in 1828 when a local Dewan, Sayeed Ahmed of Haibatnagar Dewan Bari of the town, conducted the Eid jamaat on one of the fields of his own land. This later became known as the Sholakia Eidgah.
The name Sholakia comes from ‘shoa lakh’, meaning 125,000, being the number of people that had come to offer their Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the Eidgah the first time.
The surrounding area was also named Sholakia afterwards. Later, another Dewan, Mannan Dad Khan, gave 4.35 acres of land for the Eidgah in 1950. The Sholakia Eidgah now has about 7 acres of land. The Eidgah stands on the bank of the Narsunda river.
There are about 265 rows, each of which can accommodate 600 devotees at the Eidgah. So the main field can accommodate some 159,000 devotees. However, more than three lakh devotees offer their prayers here, using the nearby roads, open spaces and courtyards of surrounding houses.
Three special trains will operate on Bhairab-Kishoreganj and Kishoreganj-Mymensingh routes to facilitate the movement of Sholakia-bound Muslim devotees.
Locals alleged that the ground lacks sufficient facilities to accommodate devotees who come to attend the congregation from long distances. Addressing this issue the deputy commissioner said that they have plans to call for a tender to build the facilities.