The holy Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune, was observed in the country on Sunday night with due solemnity and religious fervour. Muslim devotees spent the night offering special prayers, zikir, reciting from the holy Quran, holding milad and other religious rituals seeking divine blessings for peace and happiness for themselves and also for the wellbeing of mankind. They also visited the graveyards of their relatives and Muslim saints and prayed to the almighty for the eternal peace of the departed souls. Muslims also distributed sweets and homemade foods like bread, halwa and cooked meet among the poor, their neighbours, friends and relatives on the occasion. According to Muslim belief, on this night, Allah, the Almighty, decides the fate of all creatures for the coming year taking into account their past deeds. On the occasion, the Islamic Foundation Bangladesh and various religious and socio-cultural organisations held elaborate programmes, including religious sermons, Quran recitation, singing hamd-na’t, offering doa and special prayers. Different political parties also arranged various programmes, including milad and doa mahfil, on the occasion. Monday is a public holiday as the Shab-e-Barat fell on Sunday night. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages felicitating the Muslims on the occasion. Bangladesh Television (BTV), Bangladesh Betar, private TV channels and radio stations aired special programmes, while newspapers published articles, highlighting the significance of the night. — Dhaka, May 23 (UNB)
