Eid-ul-Fitr celebrated

The holy Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the greatest religious festivals of the Muslims, was celebrated in the city and elsewhere in the country on Monday amid enthusiasm and with due solemnity, seeking divine blessings for the continued peace, progress and prosperity of the country as well as the Muslim Ummah.
In most places across the country, the devotees joined the Eid congregations amid thunder and showers. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 39 millimeter of rainfall in the capital between 8:00am. and midday
Hundreds of thousands of devotees irrespective of their social standing attended Eid congregations in different Eidgahs, mosques and open spaces throughout the country in the morning.
After the Eid prayers, the devotees embraced each other demonstrating the fraternity among the Muslims. Men, women and children attired in their best greeted each other saying, “Eid Mubarak” and visited the houses of relatives and friends exchanging greetings in a festive mood. They also shared improved diet on the occasion.
The main Eid congregation in the city was held at the National Eidgah Maidan at 9:00am under the auspices of Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) and Islamic Foundation Bangladesh.
President Zillur Rahman offered his Eid prayer at the National Eidgah Maidan praying for peace and progress of the countrymen and solidarity of the Muslim Ummah.
Chief Justice MM Ruhul Amin, Speaker Abdul Hamid, Deputy Speaker Col (Retd) Shawkat Ali, Dhaka City Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka, ministers and members of parliament, judges, political leaders, government high-ups, diplomats of different Muslim countries and people from all walks of life also attended the Eid congregation at National Eidgah maidan.
Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin conducted the main Eid congregation at Ntional Eidgah.
The largest Eid congregation of the country was held at Solakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj. Though morning rains caused inconveniences for the devotees in some places, people offered Eid prayer ignoring the inclement weather.
The Special Security Force (SSF), intelligence agencies, police and plainclothes men put up security around the main Eid congregations where government leaders and other important personalities joined the ordinary people to perform the Eid prayer.
Five Eid congregations were held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. Eid congregations were also held at eidgahs, mosques and open places in the city and elsewhere in the country.
President Zillur Rahman hosted an Eid reception at Bangabhaban and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban exchanging greetings with foreign diplomats, elite and cross-section of people.
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia exchanged Eid greetings at Ladies Club with diplomats and people from different strata of life.
On the occasion of holy Eid-ul-Fitr, special diets were served in hospitals, jails, government-run children and shelter homes, homes for the socially handicapped and vagrant welfare centres.
The national flag was hoisted atop government and non-government offices. Main city streets were decorated with flags inscribed with ‘Eid Mubarak’ in Bengali and Arabic.
The government announced holidays from Sunday to Tuesday for Eid celebration. Newspapers brought special supplements while TV channels put up special programmes on the occasion. Newspaper offices were closed till Wednesday.
Our correspondents from different districts, including, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet reported that people of those areas celebrated the holy occasion amid enthusiasm and with due religious fervor.
Meanwhile, DhakaBashi, a social organisation of the city, brought out a colourful rally in the city on Tuesday, the following day of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, conveying the Eid greetings to city dwellers.

Courtesy of The New Nation