Barisal Correspondent :
Christmas observed with festive mood, great enthusiasm and socio-religious flavor in Barisal city on Monday.
More than 20 thousand members of the three major Christian sects of the city amid tight security measures gallantly celebrated their biggest religious and socio-cultural festival from early Monday.
The eight-day long festivities started with children fair at churches on Saturday.
On early Monday and morning the festival starts with singing carols, special church prayers, and discussion meetings.
The six Christian Churches of the city, Mother Teresa’s Home, Christian religious training center, Care, Caritas, YMCA, YWCA and other Christian Institutions have arranged different types of programs including visits and special prayers at the graveyards.
The churches and adjoining grounds decorated with colorful tiny blinking lights and illuminated Christmas trees placed with a star standing right on top.
Besides, Santa Claus handed over Christmas gifts to the children, family gatherings took place and Christmas-Day feasts.
To ensure peaceful celebrations of Christmas, security beefed up in the city.
The police and the Rapid Action Battalion personnel have been deployed to ensure safety in and around the churches and Christian populated areas, said SM Ruhul Amin, Metropolitan Police Commissioner.
Barisal center of Bangladesh Betar and cable operators of Barisal also aired special programs on the occasion of holy Christmas as ‘Shuva Baro Din’. A number of organizations and individuals threw parties, featuring Christmas carols, games, dance shows and Christmas cakes in the Christian populated houses, colonies and areas of the city and district.
Besides special religious prayer, inter-religious discussion meetings, exhibition and drama on the life of the Holy Christ, cultural functions, sports, social and family gatherings, decoration of the Christian religious, socio-cultural organisations, graveyards, houses with lights, colorful balloons, paintings, were arranged on this occasion.
BSS from Rangpur reports: Christmas, the biggest religious festival of the Christians, marking the birthday of Jesus Christ was celebrated here on Monday amid due religious fervour, festivity, fanfare and solemnity.
The day was celebrated through morning prayers, recitation from the holy Bible, carol singing, exchanging pleasantries, cutting Christmas cakes, decoration of Xmas trees at Sadar Baptists Church and other places.
The churches were decorated here with tiny blinking lights and illuminated Christmas trees and special dishes were prepared in the families of the Christian community and the children were seen seeking blessings from their elders.
The Christian religious leaders welcomed the community people and greeted the invited guests.
The authorities of Rangpur Sadar Baptists Church, Balapara AG Church under Mithapukur upazila, Taraganj Church and Jihori Samos Church arranged different programmes and discussions.
Father of Sadar Baptists Church Reverend Barnobas Hembrom, Pastor of Balapara AG Church Babul Roy and the Christian community leaders participated in the Christmas cake cutting ceremonies along with their community people.
The Christian religious leaders conducted special prayers at the Churches seeking divine blessings for welfare, peace and prosperity of the whole humanity.
BSS from Rajshahi adds: Christmas Day, the largest religious festival of the Christians, was celebrated here with much enthusiasm and festive mood on Monday.
A large number of Christians rushed to the nearby churches to offer prayers. A special prayer was held at city church at 8.30 in the morning.
Earlier on Sunday night, midnight prayer was held at Baganpara Church from 9 pm to 11 pm. Special prayers program was also arranged at Court Mission Church at 9.30 am today followed by friendly feast at noon.
Besides, prayers were offered at different churches in the city including Dingadoba Church commemorating Jesus Christ.
Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation Musaddeque Hossain Bulbul, former Mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton and Zila Parishad Chairman Muhammad Ali Sarker visited various celebrating sites of the city.
