UNB, Dhaka :
The holy Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune and forgiveness, was observed in Bangladesh on Friday with religious fervour.
According to Muslim belief, Shab-e-Barat is the night when Allah arranges the affairs of the following year.
On this night, Allah writes the destinies of all creations for the coming year by taking into account their past deeds.
Muslim devotees offered special prayers and recited from the Holy Quran seeking divine blessings for the wellbeing of mankind and to save people from the fatal onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic.
They passed the whole night offering prayers at home due to Covid-induced restrictions on holding jamaat at mosques and milad mahfil.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private TV channels and radio stations aired special programmes while newspapers published articles highlighting the significance of the night.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) had imposed a ban on the bursting of firecrackers in areas under its jurisdiction in the capital ahead of the holy Shab-e-Barat.
The ban remained effective till 6am on Saturday (March 19) to ensure a peaceful observation of the holy Shab-e-Barat.
Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had issued separate messages on the occasion.