Muslims across the country celebrated the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festivals, on Tuesday with much enthusiasm, religious fervour and gaiety.
People, irrespective of their social status, offered Eid prayers in mosques and eidgahs following a month-long fasting.
After the Eid prayers, they embraced each other in a serene show of unity, fraternity and equality.
They also visited houses of their relatives and friends and exchanged greetings in a festive mood.
Many children along with their guardians thronged theme parks in the afternoon.
The country’s largest Eid congregation was held at Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj district when over 3 lakh Muslims offered prayers seeking divine blessings, peace and progress for the country as well as salvation of those killed in the barbaric Israeli attacks in Gaza of Palestine.
In the capital, the main Eid congregation was held at the National Eidgah near the High Court at 8:30am. Khatib of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Prof Maulana M Salahuddin conducted the prayers.
President Abdul Hamid offered the Eid prayers at the National Eidgah. Stringent security measures were in place around the main Eid congregation where the Chief Justice, ministers, state ministers, advisers to the Prime Minister, judges of the Supreme Court, members of parliament, senior political leaders, diplomats of different Muslim countries and high civil and military officials also joined the ordinary people to say the Eid prayers.
A special munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for peace and progress of the country, and the welfare of its people and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah.
Though morning rains caused some inconveniences to Muslim devotees at some places, it could not affect the mirth and joy of Eid.
President Abdul Hamid hosted a reception at Bangabhaban and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina exchanged greetings with foreign diplomats, the elite and a cross-section of the people at Ganobhaban.
Besides, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia hosted an Eid reception at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre.
The national flag was hoisted atop the government and non-government offices. Main streets in the capital were decorated with flags inscribed with ‘Eid Mubarak’ in Bengali and Arabic.
Earlier, responding to the pull of roots, people in their tens of thousands left the capital for their village homes to celebrate the Eid with their loved ones giving the crowded city an unusual deserted look.
Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is observed as a fasting period by Muslims who forego food and water from sunrise to sunset and it culminates in Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations.
