National
Nationwide observed holy Eid-ul-Fitr
The highly anticipated Eid-ul-Fitr, a significant religious festival for Muslims, will be celebrated nationwide tomorrow, as the Shawwal moon of 1445 Hijri was not sighted in Bangladesh on Tuesday.
“The Shawwal moon of 1445 Hijri was not sighted in Bangladesh on Tuesday. Consequently, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Thursday,” stated Shayla Sharmin, Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Islamic Foundation (IF), to BSS following the National Moon Sighting Committee meeting.
The meeting, chaired by Religious Affairs Minister and President of the National Moon Sighting Committee Md Faridul Haque Khan, convened at the IF meeting room in Baitul Mokarram National Mosque on Tuesday evening.
President Mohammed Sahabuddin and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are set to issue separate messages extending greetings to the nation and Muslims worldwide on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.
The central congregation for Eid-ul-Fitr prayers is scheduled at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises at 8:30 am tomorrow. In case of adverse weather conditions or other unavoidable circumstances, the congregation will convene at 9 am at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
Additionally, another congregation will be held at 8:30 am at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) on Eid day.
Furthermore, five Eid congregations will take place at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Eid-ul-Fitr day, starting at 7 am with subsequent Jamaats scheduled at 8 am, 9 am, 10 am, and 10:45 am respectively.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin is expected to lead the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the National Eidgah Maidan, accompanied by hundreds of people from various walks of life. Notable figures of the country, including the Chief Justice, cabinet members, Supreme Court judges, lawmakers, senior political leaders, and high-ranking civil and military officials, will also participate.
The Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) will oversee the Eid congregation, with special arrangements made for women to offer prayers at the national Eidgah. The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has implemented comprehensive security measures to ensure law and order during Eid-ul-Fitr.
Eid-ul-Fitr, an Arabic term meaning “festival of breaking the fast,” signifies the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, observed during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.
During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk. On the morning of Eid, devotees typically gather at mosques and prayer venues to perform Eid prayers and exchange greetings.
The festival is characterized by visits to friends and relatives, hosting food gatherings, and sharing sweets. Children receive new clothes, shoes, and cash gifts known as “Salami” from elders, relatives, and well-wishers.
Eid-ul-Fitr is a time for forgiveness and gratitude to Allah for enabling individuals to complete their month-long spiritual fasting. Many Muslims engage in acts of charity by distributing cash and food to the less fortunate.
Leaders of the quota reform movement have resolutely refused to negotiate with the government, insisting that their movement will persist until their demands are met.
In a Facebook post, Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the movement, declared, “No discussion through stepping onto blood.”
Asif Mahmud, another prominent leader, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There can be no dialogue with bullets. I would prefer death over this betrayal.”
He further elaborated, “On one side, there are bullets. On the other, there is a call for dialogue. We can’t sit for dialogue while stepping onto the blood of our brothers.”
Earlier, leaders of the quota reform movement accused the government of escalating the law and order situation towards violence, asserting that their movement was peaceful until the government’s intervention.
Vowing to continue their struggle, Asif Mahmud stated, “We will continue our protests till we achieve our demands for reformation of the quota system, reopening of the halls and campuses, making university campuses terror-free, withdrawing political forces from the campuses, and punishing the killers and attackers.”
He added, “The people of the country have encircled those who tried to corner us. No conspiracy will be able to derail our movement.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged both local and international investors to invest in the extraction of marine resources from Bangladesh’s extensive sea areas.
“In order to fortify the blue economy through the diverse utilization of our marine resources, I call upon local and foreign investors to seize the opportunity to invest in Bangladesh. This will enable us to harness more of our marine resources,” she announced.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the inauguration of the Bangladesh International Aquaculture and Seafood Show-2024 at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) in Dhaka.
She emphasized the importance of adhering to proper standards in the collection, distribution, and processing of fish to boost exports, aiming to make fish the country’s second-largest source of foreign currency.
Sheikh Hasina pointed out that her government has made limited progress in harvesting fish and other sea resources from the deep sea due to a lack of interest from local investors.
“Therefore, we need foreign investment to advance in this area. This is the reality we must face,” she noted.
She also suggested that both local and foreign investors can collaborate in joint ventures or invest separately in this sector to achieve better results.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecasted light to moderate and moderately heavy rainfall or thundershowers, accompanied by temporary gusty winds, across all eight divisions of the country over the next 24 hours, starting from 9 am today.
In its weather bulletin issued this morning, the BMD stated, “Light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty wind is expected in a few places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions. Additionally, one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barisal divisions may experience similar conditions, with moderately heavy falls anticipated at several locations in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.”
The bulletin also highlighted that the current mild heat wave sweeping across the Rangpur division and the districts of Tangail, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Pabna, Bogra, and Netrokona may persist.
Daytime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while nighttime temperatures are likely to remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
On Wednesday, the highest recorded temperature was 36.7 degrees Celsius, observed in Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Rajarhat. The lowest temperature recorded today was 26.0 degrees Celsius, noted in Bandarban and Teknaf.
Over the last 24 hours, rainfall amounted to 16 mm in Bandarban.
For the capital, the sun will set at 6:48 pm today and rise at 5:21 am tomorrow.
