Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of Muslims, was celebrated in Bangladesh on Thursday with due religious fervour and festivity.
Muslim devotees offered Eid prayers at Eidgahs and mosques across the country in the morning. After the prayers, they exchanged Eid greetings.
The main Eid congregation was held at the National Eidgah on the Supreme Court premises in the capital.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman offered Eid prayers along with hundreds of devotees at the National Eidgah.
After the prayers, they joined a munajat with the devotees seeking blessings of the almighty for Muslim Ummah as well the nation.
The Chief Justice, cabinet members, judges of the Supreme Court, lawmakers, political leaders, diplomats, and high-ranking civil and military officials joined the Eid congregation.
Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Mufti Muhammad Abdul Malek conducted the Eid prayers.
A special munajat, seeking divine blessings for peace, progress, and prosperity of Bangladesh, as well as the welfare of its people and the Muslim Ummah, was offered after the prayers.
In the capital, Eid congregations at the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram were held at 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am and 10:45am.
Eid congregation was also held at the South Plaza of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
President Shahabuddin and his spouse Dr Rebecca Sultana exchanged Eid greetings at Bangabhaban with people from different walks of life.
Cabinet members, chief election commissioner (CEC), judges, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the Armed Forces, envoys of different countries, Bangladesh Bank governor and inspector general of police (IGP) were present at the reception.
Distinguished personalities, senior politicians, writers, journalists, teachers, intellectuals and high-ranking civil and military officials, among others, also joined the programme.
In the morning, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman visited the graves of his parents at Zia Udyan and offered munajat on the occasion of Eid. He also visited the grave of his younger brother Arafat Rahman Koko at Banani graveyard and offered prayer there.
In the afternoon, Tarique Rahman joined a feast hosted by Bangladesh Army’s 25th East Bengal Regiment also known as "Mrittunjoyee Potchis" at Zia Colony in Dhaka Cantonment. Army officers and soldiers participated in the event.
After offering Eid prayers in the morning, Muslims across the country started slaughtering their sacrificial animals seeking the blessings of the Almighty Allah.
Many devotees will also slaughter their sacrificial animals in the next two days.
All public and private offices are in long holidays from May 25 as the government announced weeklong vacation to facilitate people to celebrate the festival.
However, emergency services, including hospitals, healthcare, fire service, electricity, water, gas, internet and postal services, have remained operational during the holidays.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and private television channels are airing special programmes on the occasion.
Special meals were served at hospitals, orphanages, prisons and child care centres.
In Kishoreganj, the 199th congregation of holy Eid-ul-Azha was held at 9:00am at Sholakia Eidgah with the participation of around 1 lakh devotees despite heavy rain.
Another large Eid-ul-Azha congregation was held at the Gor-e-Shahid Boro Maidan in Dinajpur district town at 8:30am.
The practice of Qurbani commemorates the supreme devotion of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), who was prepared to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) in obedience to Allah's command.
The Almighty Allah later replaced Ismail (AS) with a sacrificial animal, symbolising the spirit of faith and sacrifice.