Prime Minister Tarique Rahman hosted Eid greetings at the state guest house Jamuna on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday, where a gathering of prominent personalities took place.
The event saw participation from politicians, diplomats, senior journalists and people from various professions. Former chief adviser of the recently departed interim government Muhammad Yunus also attended the gathering.
The prime minister exchanged greetings and pleasantries with attendees, shaking hands and embracing many of them. However, despite being invited, a large number of guests could not enter due to heavy crowding.
After offering Eid prayers at the National Eidgah at 8:30am, Tarique Rahman arrived at Jamuna. The main gate was opened for invited guests at 9:15am.
Only card holders were allowed entry by members of the Special Security Force (SSF). Five queues of attendees formed, stretching from the main gate across the front road to Kakrail and the InterContinental intersection.
The prime minister visited many attendees and inquired about their well-being. He was accompanied by his wife, Dr Zubaida Rahman, and daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman, along with senior BNP leaders. Special hospitality arrangements were made for the guests.
Crowd spills over, many unable to enter
Although the Eid greetings exchange program at Jamuna was scheduled to begin at 9am., invited guests began lining up well before the designated time. By 10am., the crowd had spilled from the main gate onto the adjacent road. Law enforcement personnel struggled to manage the large turnout, and the gate was eventually closed. Many people waited until noon but were unable to enter and later returned.