Christmas celebrated across country

Christmas Day, the largest religious festival of the Christian community, was celebrated across the country with much enthusiasm and a festive mood on Sunday.

A large number of Christians rushed to the churches to offer prayers.

In Rajshahi, marking the day, a special prayer was organised in the city church at 7.30am.

Earlier on Saturday night, a midnight prayer was arranged at Baganpara Church from 6 pm to 11 pm. A special prayers programme was organised at Court Mission Church at 9.30am followed by a friendly feast at noon.

Besides, special prayers were offered at different churches in the city including Dingadoba Church commemorating Jesus Christ along with seeking peace, progress and prosperity in the world including Bangladesh. Marking the great celebration, the city’s churches were decorated and illuminated.

Local dignitaries and professional leaders accompanied by others visited various celebrating sites of the city and exchanged pleasantries with the members of the Christian community.

In Netrakona Christmas Day was celebrated in all the churches and Christian hamlets under five upazilas of the district amid festivity and due religious fervour.

The five upazilas are Durgapur, Kalmakanda, Purbadhala, Mohanganj and Netrakona Sadar.

On this occasion, all the churches have been decorated with colourful balloons, flowers and Christmas trees. Besides, those churches have also been illuminated with colourful lights.

Christian community is celebrating the day by holding various programs including delivering sermons, offering special prayers, decorating and illuminating churches and worship and installing makeshift Christmas trees in the churches, worships and houses.

The district police administration has already taken tight security measures around all the churches and Christian hamlets to avoid any untoward incident and ensure peaceful celebration of the religious festival, acting Superintendent of Police (SP) Faqruzzaman Juwel said.

The government has already allocated 76 tonnes of rice for 152 churches in the district to assist the Christian community for celebrating their happy Christmas day with enthusiasm, district administration sources said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Anjana Khan Mojlish in a message issued here greeted the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas Day.

Manu Mojumder MP (Durgapur and Kalmakanda constituency) accompanied by local Awami League leaders visited different churches and worships of the Cristian community in Durgapur and Kalmakanda upazilas and exchanged greetings with the community people.

In Gazipur, the community celebrated Christmas in Gazipur with various programmes. On Sunday Christians celebrated the day with religious rituals, joyous celebrations, the cutting of cakes, and prayers in churches.

Father Ripon Rosario, an assistant at Saint Nicholas Church in Kaliganj, said that men and women, children and people of all ages participated in this Christmas prayer.

Father Thomas Koraiah and Father Sentu Costa of Sadhu Augustine Church in Kewachala area of Sreepur Municipality said Christmas is being celebrated everywhere from churches to Christian homes. Christmas trees are decorated in front of the houses.

Sister Sarala Palma, the head teacher of the local St Monica School, said, “Our prayer on Christmas is that the sense of brotherhood deepens among people, that unrest is removed from the world and that peace prevails among all.”

Gazipur Superintendent of Police (SP) Kazi Shafiqul Alam said security measures have been taken around the day. Each church has a police patrol along with a police station.