Staff Reporter :The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on Monday with the spirit of sacrifice in commemoration of Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim’s (A) complete submission to the will of almighty Allah.On the occasion, Muslims will offer Eid prayers and sacrificed animals. They will also share the feast on sacrificial meat with their relatives and neighbours, and distributed meat among the poor.The schedule of Monday’s main Eid congregations in Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna cities as well as at the largest one in Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj district has already been fixed The main congregation will be held at the National Eidgah near the High Court will be held at 8:30am and Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Prof M Salauddin will conduct the prayers. A special munajat (prayer) for peace and prosperity of the country as well as welfare of the people and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah will be offered at the main congregation.The Islamic Foundation like the previous years has arranged a total of five congregations at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque every one hour, with the first one beginning at 7:00am.Besides, several hundred Eid congregations will also be held in different mosques and other open places under the Dhaka City Corporation (north and south) areas. A Eid congregations will be held at Sawmibagh Jame Masjid at 8 am. The larget Eid congregation will be held in Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj where lakhs of Muslims will offer prayers seeking divine blessings, peace and progress of the country. On the occasion, President Abul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages calling upon the people to imbibe with the spirit of sacrifice and work in amity for building a happy and prosperous society for all.In his message, the President called upon all to reflect the spirit of sacrifice of Eid-ul-Azha in their thoughts and deeds for building a peaceful society.Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the unique sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) in the name of almighty Allah for His satisfaction would ever remain an example for mankind to follow. Meanwhile, a three-day government holiday for the Eid-ul-Azha has been announced beginning today (Sunday). All newspaper offices will also remain closed on these three days.The state-run Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television (BTV) and the private TV channels have arranged special programmes highlighting the significance of the day.Special diets will be served among the inmates of jails, orphanages, vagrant centres and dormitories on the occasion.Millions of people have already started leaving Dhaka for their village homes to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones.The national flag will be hoisted atop government and non-government office buildings on the day. The main city streets and road islands will also be decorated with the national flag and banners inscribed with ‘Eid Mubarak’ in Bangla and Arabic. Both the Dhaka City Corporations have taken preparations to clear garbage and animal wastes from the city streets immediately after the sacrifice of animals by city dwellers. Additional police personnel will be deployed as part of security measures during the Eid-ul-Azha vacation in the capital.On the occasion of Eid-ul Azha, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will exchange greetings with people from all walks of life, including judges and foreign diplomats, at her official Ganobhaban residence on Monday.Earlier on the day she will also exchange Eid greetings with her party leaders and activists from 9.30 am to 10 am at the same venue.BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia will exchange greetings with diplomats and eminent citizens at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the city on Eid day.She will first exchange greetings with foreign diplomats in Dhaka from 11:00am to 11:30 pm and later with eminent citizens from 11.30 am to 12:30 pm.
