Amid bomb blasts at the Shia Muslim community’s Dhaka headquarters, the holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), was observed in the country on Saturday. Various religious and socio-political organisations arranged milad, doa mahfil, and discussions highlighting the significance of the Ashura. This year’s Ashura observance marred with the explosions of three homemade bombs half an hour before bringing out a traditional Tajia procession by Shia Muslim community from their Huseni Dalan headquarters in Old Dhaka early Sunday that killed a teenage boy and injured around 100 people. During the first 10 days of Muharram, Huseni Dalan becomes a centre of mourning and religious gathering in old Dhaka. Shia followers end the festival by bringing out a large procession parading through the city streets. The community was scheduled to bring out the Tajia procession at 2am on Sunday. Though the Shia Muslims cancelled their schedule Tajia procession at night following the bomb blasts, they took out the traditional rally from Huseni Dalan around 10:45 am amid tight security measures. The members of the community carrying banners and red, black and green flags brought out the procession in remembrance the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA). The procession terminated in Dhanmondi area around 1:30pm after marching Bakshibazar, Urdu Road, Ajimpur, New markets, Science Lab and Jhigatala. In the procession, the Shia Muslims expressed their mourning and grief by hitting their chests with their hands and beating their heads intending to connect them with the sufferings of Imam Hussain (RA). Shia Muslims also brought out several other Tajia processions from different parts of the capital on the occasion. On the tenth of Muharram, the fateful day, Muslims vent remorse over the martyrdom of Imam Hossain, the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), along with his family members and 72 followers in the hands of renegades over 1300 years ago. The day was a public holiday. – UNB, Dhaka
