Let peace prevail on Eid

There are certain occasions which draw us close to our family and friends and make us yearn for their company. It is a time when anger and hurt is pushed aside and bonds are healed and strengthened. Eid-ul-Azha is such an occasion.

Eid-ul-Azha is imbibed with the spirit of sacrifice. Qurbani Eid, as it is commonly known, will be celebrated tomorrow.

The rich and the poor, old and the young, all Muslims will congregate together to offer their prayers on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha. Animals will then be sacrificed to appease Almighty Allah. It is symbolic of the effort to cleanse oneself of all greed, jealousy, anger and selfishness, that is, the beast within us.

It is sad that the spirit of Eid has been dampened by floods, dengue, lynching, rape, killing, extortion, the downturn of the share market, road accidents, inordinate traffic jams on the highways and other such natural and manmade calamities.

The nation is not going through good times. The journey home during Eid is not a smooth one due to the sad state of the roads and highways. All the roads have not been repaired despite promises to that end. The news media has long being pointing out these problems for commuters, but to no avail. Despite several initiatives and efforts, there are lengthy tailbacks on the highways leading from Dhaka to various districts around the country. People still endure all this suffering, just to be with their near and dear ones.

There is fear that it will be the same on the journey back after Eid. All-our efforts should be made to address the traffic congestion. The highway police must put in extra effort and attention. There is excessive vehicular movement on the roads and highways during these times. When there are accidents or when vehicles breakdown, disorder and jams are created. This calls for caution and efficient management.

Given the outbreak of dengue, extra special attention needs to be given to waste management after the animals are slaughtered. Unless this is ensures, Aedes mosquitoes will multiply and the dengue situation will worsen. The animals must be sacrificed in the designated areas of the city corporations and pourashavas. The authorities must be quick in clearing the waste. If the people of all localities take initiative to keep their areas clean, this will make the work much easier for the city corporations and pourashavas.

Huge numbers of people leave the cities for their homes in the villages during Eid. We pray that everyone has a safe and joyful Eid. We extended our heartfelt greetings on this occasion to our innumerable readers, writers, advertisers and well-wishers. May the joy of Eid prevail

Eid Mubarak.