The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, is being celebrated on Friday across the Bangladesh, as elsewhere in neighbouring countries, with due solemnity and religious fervor.
The festival began in the morning with offering of Eid prayers by millions of Muslims at mosques and eidgahs throughout the country.
They prayed for divine blessings for peace, progress and prosperity of the country and welfare of the Muslim Ummah. The prayers were followed by sacrificing of animals for blessings of Allah.
The main Eid jamaat (congregation) in capital Dhaka was held at 8 am on the National Eidgah adjacent to the High Court in the capital while the biggest one held at Sholakia of Kishoreganj district.
President Abdul Hamid offered Eid-ul-Azha prayers at National Eidgah in the city.Hundreds of people from all walks of life including political leaders, judges of the Supreme Court, diplomats, high civil and military officials and educationists offered their Eid-ul-Azha prayers on the National Eidgah Maidan. The jamaat was arranged under the auspices of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) South.
The Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th of Zilhajj month of the al-Hizra calendar as Prophet Ibrahim (AS), did on this day about 4,000 years ago, offer to sacrifice his beloved son Ismail (AS) who did submit to the will of his father to please Allah. But, the Almighty in His mercy spared Ismail (AS) and instead sent a ram to be sacrificed.
To commemorate this historic event, the Muslims all over the world slaughter sacrificial animals and draw inspiration from the unique example of sacrifice by two great prophets.
Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar, private TV channels and radio stations are airing special programmes. Newspapers have published special supplements on the occasion.
National flags are hoisted at different government and non-government offices and at Bangladesh missions abroad marking the day. Dhaka City streets have been decorated with national flags and festoons inscribed with different messages on Eid-ul-Azha.
Important public and private buildings were illuminated in the capital and other cities. On the day, improved diets were served to hospitals, prisons, orphanages, safe homes and shelter centers.
President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and Bnp chief Khaleda Zia issued separate messages, greeting the Muslims in Bangladesh and all over the world on the occasion of Eid-ul Azha.
Five congregations were also held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am, 10 am and at 10.45 am.
Two city corporations — Dhaka South and Dhaka North –arranged 362 Eid congregations in the capital. Of those, Dhaka South held 228 congregations.
The biggest Eid-ul-Azha jamaat of the country was held at Sholakia Eidgha Maidan in Kishoreganj this morning. The Eid-jamaat was conducted by noted Islamic scholar Mufti Farid Uddin Mashud. Tens of thousands of devotee from home and abroad joined the jamaat.
After the prayers, a special munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the freedom fighters, who sacrificed their lives during the War of Liberation in 1971, development and welfare of the people of the country as well as the Muslim Ummah.
The Mina stampede that killed 717 pilgrims and road accidents that claimed 15 lived in Bangladesh plut the sufferings of home-bound passengers due to traffic jam on almost all highways cast a gloom on the eid celebrations.
