Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated on Friday amid religious fervour and enthusiasm after a month of fasting.
As the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh on Wednesday evening, the Eid festival will be celebrated on Friday.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee with State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan in the chair on Wednesday evening after reviewing the information of Shawwal moon sighting.
President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the nation in separate messages on the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr.
Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address the nation at 7:15pm on Thursday.
This year, Eid will be celebrated in a different scenario without any outdoor program and Eid jamaat at Eidgahs across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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The government has urged people to avoid Eidgahs or other open places for Eid congregations and offer prayers at local mosques maintaining health guidelines.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued an emergency circular recently saying, “Although the Islamic Sharia encourages offering Eid prayer at Eidgah or open places, the devotees are now requested to offer their prayers at nearby mosques due to the coronavirus situation.”
It also suggested disinfecting mosques before Eid prayers and advised against rolling out carpets on the floors.
The devotees have been urged to bring prayer mats from home. Other than that, arrangements should be made at the entrances of the mosques for washing hands, the notification added.
The devotees must wear masks inside mosques and avoid using prayer mats and caps that were stored there.
Children, elderly people, people with physical ailments and those taking care of the sick should not be allowed to attend jamaats.
Apart from these, devotees were requested to avoid shaking hands and the customary hugging after the prayers.
With the risk of virus infections, thousands of people have already left the capital to celebrate Eid with their near and dear ones at their native homes.
In the capital, the main Eid congregation will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Five congregations will take place there, said Islamic Foundation.
The national flag will be hoisted atop government and non-government office buildings on the day. The main city streets and road islands will be decorated with the national flag and banners inscribed with “Eid Mubarak” in both Bangla and Arabic.
Television channels and radio stations will telecast special programs.
Special diets will be served in hospitals, jails, government children’s homes, Chhotomoni Nibash, centres for persons with disabilities, shelter homes, orphanages, vagrant welfare and destitute welfare centres.
Both the city corporations have no formalities on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Fitr as there is no initiative to hold the Eid jammat on the open space, according to the officials of the Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations.
No Eid congregation will be held on the open field under the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area due to the coronavirus pandemic, said DNCC sources, adding that DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam greeted the city dwellers marking the Eid festival.
Rain likely
Light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls and hails at isolated places over the country.
Day and night temperature may fall slightly over the country, said a Met office release on Thursday.
The country’s maximum temperature on Wednesday was recorded by 36 degrees Celsius in Chandpur and minimum temperature on Thursday was recorded at 19.6 degrees Celsius in Tetulia.
Maximum rainfall for the last 24 hours till 6:00am Thursday was recorded at 29 millimetres in Tetulia.
