Holy Eid-ul-Fitr has come for the second time amid the global pandemic of Covid-19. After a long month of fasting, this festival comes with a message of joy. Muslims around the world celebrate it with festivity.
But for two years in a row, the joy of this festival has been overshadowed by the on-going pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has taken the lives of more than 3.3 million (33 lakh) people worldwide and the number of infected people is around 160 (16 crore) million.
In Bangladesh, around 12 thousand people have died of coronavirus. The number of cases detected through tests has exceeded 7.75 million. In such a situation, despite the subdued joy of holy Eid-ul-Fitr due to the pandemic, let there be hope and conviction that we will all go back to a healthy, normal, active life after overcoming this calamity and dark days.
This year too, the government has imposed lockdown or restrictions ahead of this Eid festival as the second wave of coronavirus hit the country before the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Amid this restricted situation, practice of restraint by fasting has continued. The aim of fasting in the holy Ramadan is the practice of physical and mental restraint.
As the lockdown this time is lax as compared to the last year, large numbers of people have gone and are still going to their villages from different cities, including Dhaka. Therefore, everyone should take extra precautions individually.
This is especially needed at the moment as the Indian variant of coronavirus has already been detected in the country, which is much more contagious than the other variants of the virus. Due to the rapid spread of this variant the pandemic situation in India is now quite worrying. Festivals like Kumbhmela and public gatherings during election campaigns in several states have paved the way into developing this catastrophic situation there.
Several experts fear that such a situation might arise in our country too before and after the Eid-ul-Fitr. Therefore, every person has to take special precaution. A slightest slackness in maintaining social and physical distance and following health guidelines may cause great danger for us.
According to the government directives, this year too, the Eid prayers will be held at the mosques. During the Eid prayers at the mosques, everyone must maintain physical distance, wear a mask and avoid embracing and handshaking.
The governing bodies at each mosque should pay special attention in this regard. Instructions regarding these issues should be announced from the mosques.
The rate of transmission is high in Dhaka. Despite that, as many as 2.8 million people have left Dhaka to celebrate Eid with family and many more will go. So there is a fear that the infection rate will increase all over the country through the asymptomatic coronavirus carriers. Therefore, the people, who already had left and about to leave Dhaka, should take extra precautions while celebrating Eid with their families.
People should be restrained in Eid shopping too. A large number of poor people are suffering for food at the moment. It is the duty of the rich to extend their helping hands to these people in distress.
Eid Mubarak to all.