Staff Reporter :
The Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims, has been celebrated with religious fervour amid Covid restrictions in Bangladesh on Friday praying for an end to the ongoing Covid-19 and peace and prosperity of Muslim Ummah across the world.
Sadly, most of the people did not follow the government imposed restrictions during the Eid celebration and the Eid journey this year was full of terrible sufferings as the operation of the inter-district buses and trains were suspended.
The government had earlier asked the devotees to say Eid prayers in nearby mosques maintaining the health guidelines to avoid congregations in open spaces. But even if this instruction is followed in Dhaka city, it is learnt that Eid prayers were offered in open spaces in different parts of the country.
Meanwhile, the Muslims across the country offered special prayers seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of those who died of Covid-19 and early recovery of the Covid patients. They prayed for a world free from Covid-19 so that they could lead normal lives again.
The devotees also prayed for the people of Palestine who are being subjected to oppression by Israeli forces.
The religious festival, after a month of fasting, was observed in Bangladesh, like elsewhere in the world, amid the Covid pandemic for the second consecutive year.
Like the previous year after the Covid outbreak in the country, there was almost no outdoor activity this year to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the people of the country in separate messages on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr.
In Dhaka, the main Eid congregation was held at the Baitul Mokarram National Mosque. Five congregations took place there between 7:00am and 10:45am.
The biggest Eid jamaat of the country is held at the historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj every year. But like the previous year, no Eid jamaat took place there this year also due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As many people could not leave Dhaka for their village homes due to the suspension of the inter-district buses and trains, they greeted their near and dear ones virtually and shared their joys with one another.
Parks, museums and other amusement centres remained closed due to Covid restrictions during the Eid vacation. But a good number of people were seen crowding at Hatirjheel in the afternoon on the Eid day to enjoy beauty of nature.
The people who went to the native villages or towns to celebrate the festival suffered a lot as the government had suspended the operation of the inter-district buses and trains. They had to pay more take as they followed the alternative vehicles in their journeys.
After completing the Eid celebration, people have already started to go back to their work places and they are also experiencing the same sufferings on the way back.
A long line of the transports was seen on Sunday in the Ameen Bazar area in Savar upazila, one of the gateways of the capital city Dhaka. People from different districts were coming to the capital by private cars, microbuses and other vehicles.
