Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, was celebrated across the country on Monday with due solemnity and religious fervour.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and prime minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages greeting the Muslims of the country and all over the world on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
The main congregation (jamaat) of the Eid-ul Azha was held at national Eidgah ground adjacent to the High Court under the auspices of Dhaka South City Corporation.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin, Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan, DSCC mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, cabinet members, Supreme Court judges, lawmakers, senior political leaders, diplomats and high civil and military officials offered prayers at the main Eid jamaat.
Baitul Mukarram National Mosque khatib Hafez Mufti Maulana Ruhul Amin conducted the prayers while Md Anisur Rahman performed duty as mukabbir.
After the jamaat, special prayers were offered seeking peace, progress and welfare of the people. Following the prayers, the devotees shook hands and embraced each other.
Like previous years, five congregations were held on the day at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital.
The first Eid jamaat was held at 7:00am while the next four jamaats were held at 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am and 10:45am respectively.
Eid congregation was held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in Dhaka at 8:00am.
Chief whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, science and technology minister architect Yeafesh Osman, Abul Hasnat Abdullah, MP, AB Tazul Islam, MP, JS speaker鈥檚 husband Sayed Ishtiaq Hossain, senior secretary of JS secretariat KM Abdus Salam and others lawmakers, JS officials and employees and devotees attended the Eid Jamaat, said a press release.
At Dhaka University, Eid Jamaats were held at the university鈥檚 central mosque 鈥� Masjidul Jamiya on the campus.
Eid congregations were also held at mosques and Eidgahs across the country.
After offering prayers, devotees sacrificed cattle on the first day of Eid according to their ability in the hope of attaining infinite grace from Almighty Allah. Some devotees were also slaughtering cattle on Tuesday, the second day of the Eid.
Dhaka South and North City Corporations began their activities on Monday afternoon to remove wastes of sacrificial animals within the 24 hours from the city.
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina greeted all freedom fighters of the country on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
Like other occasions, the prime minister sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded freedom fighters and members of the martyred families at Martyred and War-wounded Freedom Fighters鈥� Rehabilitation Centre (Muktijoddha Tower-1) at Gaznavi Road in the capital鈥檚 Mohammadpur area as a mark of her good wishes for them.
PM鈥檚 assistant press secretary ABM Sarwer-e-Alom Sarker handed over the items to them, according to a press release of the press wing of the Prime Minister鈥檚 Office.
Adequate security measures were taken by the law enforcement agencies to ensure law and order across the country, including the capital Dhaka marking Eid-ul-Azha.
State-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar as well as other TV channels and radio stations broadcast special programmes on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
Improved diets were served to inmates of government hospitals, prisons, orphanages, safe homes and shelter centres.
Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th of Zil Hajj month of the Hizri calendar as Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), on this day, some 4,500 years ago, offered sacrificing his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS), who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Allah.
But the Almighty Allah in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail (AS) and instead sent a ram to be sacrificed.
