Eid likely tomorrow

Tuesday, if moon not sighted today
Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow if the moon of the holy month Shawal is sighted today.
If the moon is not sighted today, the Eid will move to the next day [Tuesday] ending the month-long fasting of Ramadan.
Muslims across the globe will seek divine blessings, peace, progress and prosperity in Eid congregations.
Preparations have been made for holding Eid-ul-Fitr jamaats in the capital and other districts across the country.
The major Eid congregation will be held at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises at 9:00am Eid-day. Five jamaats will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00am and 12:00 noon, said the Islamic Foundation.
The country’s biggest Eid congregation will be held at Sholakhia Eidgah, Kishoreganj.
The National Moon Sighting Committee will sit at the Islamic Foundation auditorium at 7:30pm today to scour the sky for Shawal moon.
State Minister for Religious Affairs and president of National Moon Sighting Committee Shahjahan Mia will chair the meeting, said a press release of Islamic Foundation.
“If the moon of the holy month of Shawal is sighted today (Sunday), the holy Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed all over the country tomorrow (Monday),” said the press release.
President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages greeted the countrymen and the Muslim ummah nations on the occasion.
Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad have also felicitated the people on the occasion of the Eid.
Thousands of people have already left the capital to celebrate the Eid with their loved ones. Launches, buses and trains leaving Dhaka for various destinations have been crowded since Thursday.
Eid shoppers have been crowding the shopping centres and malls as well as elsewhere in the country to buy gifts, mainly clothing, for their near ones over the last few days.
The national flag will be hoisted atop government and non-government offices on the occasion. Main city streets will be decorated with flags imprinted with “Eid Mubarak” in Bengali and Arabic.
Eid will also be celebrated in Bangladesh missions abroad.
Special diets will be served in hospitals, jails, government-owned children and shelter homes, socially handicapped and vagabond welfare centres and shelter homes for the destitute.
The Shishu Park will remain open for the underprivileged children on Eid day. Cultural functions, friendly football matches and Eid gatherings of children will also be held across the country.
Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations will broadcast special programmes on this occasion.
Leaders of different political and socio cultural organisations in their messages greeted the people.
BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain, Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain, Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, Jatiya Party Chairman Anwar Hossain Manju, Bangladesh Christian Association president Promod Mankin, among others, greeted the people on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Courtesy of The Daily Star