Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated in the country on September 25 as the moon of the month of Jilhaj was not sighted in the Bangladesh sky Monday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee, chaired by Islamic Foundation Director General Shamim Mohammad Afzal, held at Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram conference room on Monday evening.
According to a press release issued by the Islamic Foundation, the Moon Sighting Committee did not receive any evidence of moon sighting from any part of the country on Monday, hence they decided that Eid-ul-Azha will be observed on the 25th of the on-going month.
The festival will be celebrated in mid eastern countries on September 24.
Eid-ul-Azha is the second of two religious holidays celebrated by Muslims worldwide each year.
It honours the willingness of prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) to sacrifice his promised son, Ishmael, as an act of submission to God's command, before God then intervened, through his angel Jibra'il and informs him that his sacrifice has already been accepted.
The meat from the sacrificed animal is preferred to be divided into three parts. The family retains one third of the share; another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours; and the remaining third is given to the poor and needy.
Sacrificing animal is also a must-do ritual for the pilgrimages of the Hajj.
In the lunar-based Islamic calendar, Eid-ul-Azha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days.
In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.