United News of Bangladesh

All preparations have been completed for the country’s largest Eid congregation at the historic Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj, where the 199th Eid-ul-Fitr jamaat will be held at 10:00am. Continuing a tradition stretching nearly back to the early 19th century, the Eid congregation at Sholakia is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad. Sholaki even gets its name from the estimated size of the congregation each year: sho-lakia, meaning 1-and-a-quarter lakh, or 125,000. Mufti Abul Khayer Mohammad Saifullah will lead the prayers this year. National Eidgah set for main Eid congregation, 5 at Baitul Mukarram

All necessary preparations have almost been completed for holding the country’s largest Eid congregations at Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj district. This year, the authorities concerned are preparing to hold the 196th jamaat at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan. Four-tier security measures have been taken in and around the Eidgah to ensure foolproof security, said Deputy Commissioner of Kishoreganj Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad while visiting the venue on Wednesday. The main Eid jamaat will be held at 10 am and Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, chairman of Bangladesh Islahul Muslimin Parishad will lead the Eid congregation while Maulana Shoaib Bin A Rob will remain standby. People will be allowed to enter the Eidgah with only prayer mats and masks. This year, none will be allowed to carry mobile phones and umbrellas for security concerns. According to the Sholakia Eidgah managing committee, a four-tier security system has been put in place to ensure the safety of the devotees. A total of five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be deployed besides Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, plainclothes police and detectives. Apart from CCTV cameras, six watchtowers and drones will be deployed to keep an eye on the ground. Six ambulances and fire service will remain standby round the clock for emergency calls. Also read: Sholakia hosts Asia's largest Eid Jamaat