DHAKA, May 24, 2020 (BSS) – The holy Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the greatest religious festivals of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow with religious fervor and zeal.
The National Moon Sighting Committee declared the date of this year’s Eid-ul-Fitr at a meeting at the conference room of Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mokarram National Mosque on Saturday with Religious Affairs Secretary Md
Nurul Islam in the chair.
Eid-ul-Fitr is an Arabic word meaning “festival of breaking of the fast”.The festival marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from
dawn to dusk during the holy Ramadan.
On the Eid day morning, Muslims gather at mosques and prayer venues to perform Eid prayers and greet each other. The festival is celebrated by visiting friends and relatives, hosting food parties and sharing sweets.
Children not only get new clothes and shoes, but also receive cash gifts called “Salami” from their elders, relatives and well-wishers.
The occasion is seen as a time of forgiveness and of giving thanks to Allah for helping people to complete their month-long spiritual fasting. Many Muslims distribute cash and food to the less fortunate ones.
But, this year, the Eid-ul-Fitr is going to be celebrated in a different outlook as the government has imposed a strict restriction on all the social gathering and urged the Muslim devotees to celebrate the Eid with only family
members indoors instead of visiting relatives’ houses and outing around in the awake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Friday issued a 14-point instruction for Muslim devotees and mosque committees in observance of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
It called upon the city dwellers to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr with family members at home and advised all to refrain from visiting relatives,neighbours, and entertainment spots in the city in a bid to contain the
spread of coronavirus.
The instruction also said devotees would have to perform ablution from home before coming for Eid prayers, instead of using ablution room of the mosques.
Earlier, on May 14, the Religious Affairs Ministry issued a circular asking the authorities concerned to hold Eid Jamaat of the Eid-ul-Fitr at nearby mosques instead of Eidgahs or open space aiming to contain the spread of
coronavirus.
The minister also urged the Muslim devotees not to hug each other after Eid-ul-Fitr prayers, which is the common scenario of the Eid festival to exchange greetings.
In line with the government directives, Dhaka north and south city corporation decided not to hold any Eid jamaat on the open spaces, including at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises, in the city.
Besides, the historic Eid jamaat at the Sholakia Maidan in Kishoreganj has also been suspended this year amid the COVID-19 situation.
However, five Eid jamaats will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque like every year, according to Islamic Foundation.
The first Eid jamaat will be held at 7 am on the Eid day while it will be followed by other four congregations at the same venue to help the devotees perform Eid prayers maintaining the social distancing and health guidelines
properly.
The second, third, fourth and fifth Jamaats will be held at 8 am, 9 am, 10am and 10.45 am respectively while separate Khatibs of the national mosque will conduct the Eid jamaats.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and other private TV channels will air special programmes on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
source: UNB