Tazia procession begins from Hussaini Dalan to mark Holy Ashura
Chanting laments mourners dressed in black, barefoot with black flags tied around their heads, joined the Tazia procession that set off from the historic Hussaini Dalan in Old Dhaka around 10:00 am today, Sunday, to commemorate the holy day of Ashura.
From early morning, the Imam Bara premises at Hussaini Dalan began to fill with members of the Shia Muslim community gathering to observe the solemn occasion. The procession, organised by the Shia community, is heading towards Dhanmondi and thousands of people have joined in.
Md Imon, a resident of Old Dhaka who is taking part in the procession, told Prothom Alo, “On this day, Imam Hussein (RA) was martyred at the hands of Yazid’s forces. We join the procession as an expression of our mourning.”
Mir Zulfiqar Ali, a member of the Hussaini Dalan Imam Bara management committee and one of the procession’s organisers, said, “This procession has been taking place for several hundred years. It is intended to make people across generations aware of the tragic events of Karbala.”
Young participants were seen dressed in black, symbolic of mourning. Many carried flags, Alam, replicas of the Zuljanah horse, and other traditional emblems. The route of the procession spans from Hussaini Dalan through Bakshibazar, Urdu Road, Lalbagh, Azimpur, Nilkhet, New Market, and Science Laboratory, ending at Dhanmondi.
Meanwhile, law enforcement force members were seen deployed at the front and back of the procession to ensure that it’s completed peacefully.
Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) issued a notice stating that carrying weapons such as machetes, knives, sickles, spears, lances, swords, or sticks, as well as the use of fireworks or firecrackers during the procession is strictly prohibited.
Today marks the 10th of Muharram, known as Ashura, a day of immense spiritual significance and mourning for Muslims worldwide. The word Ashura originates from the Arabic word Ashara, meaning ten.
The day commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (RA), the beloved grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who along with his family members, was brutally killed on the banks of the Euphrates River in the desert of Karbala on this day in the year 61 Hijri, standing for truth and justice.