Holy Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow
Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated tomorrow (Friday) amid religious fervour and enthusiasm after a month of fasting.
As the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh on Wednesday evening, the Eid festival will be celebrated on Friday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee with state minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan in the chair on Wednesday evening after reviewing the information of Shawwal moon sighting.
President M Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the nation in separate messages on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr. Besides, prime minister Sheikh Hasina will address the nation at 7:15pm Thursday.
This year, Eid will be celebrated in a different scenario without any outdoor programmes or Eid congregations at Eidgahs across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The government has urged people to avoid Eidgahs and other open places for Eid congregations and offer prayers at local mosques maintaining health guidelines.
The religious affairs ministry issued an emergency circular recently saying, “Although the Islamic Sharia encourages offering Eid prayer at Eidgah or open places, the devotees are now requested to offer their prayers at nearby mosques due to the coronavirus situation.”
It also suggested disinfecting mosques before Eid prayers and advised against rolling out carpets on the floors.
The devotees have been urged to bring prayer mats from home. Other than that, arrangements should be made at entrances of the mosques for washing hands, the notification added.
The devotees must wear masks inside mosques and avoid using prayer mats and caps that were stored there.
Children, elderly people, people with physical ailments, and those taking care of the sick should not be allowed to attend jamaats. Apart from these, the devotees were requested to avoid shaking hands and the customary embracing after the prayers.
With the risk of virus infections, thousands of people have already left the capital to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones at their native homes.
In the capital, the main Eid congregation will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Five congregations will take place there, said Islamic Foundation.
The national flag will be hoisted atop government and non-government office buildings on the day. The main city streets and road islands will be decorated with the national flag and banners inscribed with ‘Eid Mubarak’ in both Bangla and Arabic.
Television channels and radio stations will telecast special programmes.
Special meals will be served at hospitals, jails, state-run children’s homes, Chhotomoni Nibash, centres for persons with disabilities, shelter homes, orphanages, vagrant welfare and destitute welfare centres.
The two city corporations of the capital have no formal events on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr as there is no initiative to hold the Eid jammat in open spaces, according to the officials of the Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporation.
No Eid congregation will be held in the open fields under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area due to the corona pandemic, said the DNCC sources, adding that DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam greeted the city dwellers marking the Eid festival.