Muslims throughout the country will celebrate their second largest religious festival, Eid-ul-Azha, on Sunday, in the shadow of a surge in Covid-19 cases and large swathes of its north-east still reeling in the aftermath of the worst flooding in many years.
The Muslims in Bangladesh are all prepared to celebrate the day with due religious fervour, sacrificing animals and distributing the meat among neighbours and the poor.
President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted their fellow Muslims in Bangladesh and across the world on the eve of the holy Eid-ul-Azha issuing separate messages.
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The president said this year the Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated at a time when the world is distressed witnessing a catastrophe arisen out of Covid pandemic as many people are in hardship at different parts of the world, including Bangladesh.
President Abdul Hamid urged the affluent people of the country to stand by the people affected by the coronavirus pandemic so that they can enjoy the holy Eid and called upon the citizens to sacrifice their animals in government designated places.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the Muslims to be imbued with the spirit of the holy Eid-ul-Azha to participate in welfare-oriented activities to establish a discrimination-free, happy, prosperous and peaceful Bangladesh.
Noting that the coronavirus pandemic is taking a concerning turn again, the prime minister said Allah tests the patience of human beings in crisis.
"In this trying time, we will have to extend cooperation to one another keeping endless patience with tolerance and sympathy," she said.
She urged all to sacrifice their animals in designated places following health guidelines properly.
The main Eid congregation will be held at the National Eidgah ground in the capital at 8:00am according to Islamic Foundation Bangladesh.
However, if weather remains unfavourable or the main congregation is not held at the National Eidgah for any other reasons the main congregation will be held at 8:30am at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
This year 35,000 people will be allowed to participate in the main Eid congregation, said Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.
Like every year, five Eid congregations will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
The first of the five congregations will be held at 7:00am. The second will take place at 8:00am, the third one at 9:00am and the fourth one at 10:00am. The last one of the day will be held at 10:45am.
Eid congregations will also be held at the historic Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj this year for Eid-ul-Azha after remaining suspended for the last two years due to Covid-19 pandemic. The first Eid congregation will be held at Sholakia ground at 9:00am.
Meanwhile, the authorities have beefed up security in the densely populated metropolis to ensure smooth celebrations of the holy Eid-ul-Azha on Sunday.
"Though we don't have any specific intelligence input of any possible terror attack on the occasion of Eid, we are not taking any chances,” said RAB Additional Director General Col Md Quamrul Hasan.
The bomb disposal unit and the dog squad of the elite force will also be pressed into service at important places, including the Eidgah in the capital, he added.
Besides, special security arrangements are also in place at different Eidgah, including Sholakia Eidgah, he said, adding, "Our air wing will also be on its toes."
Special check-posts will be set up at the entry points of the metropolitan cities as well as in districts and upazilas.
Dhaka South City Corporation has made preparations to start removing cattle market centric waste from 11:00pm Saturday and the removal of sacrificial animal waste will start from 2:00pm Sunday. A total of 9,050 workers will be engaged in this work.
DSCC Mayor Taposh urged the city dwellers to complete slaughtering their sacrificial animals by second day of the Eid-ul-Azha and not wait till third day as DSCC cleaning staffers will remove animal waste from different spots for 72 hours continuously, starting from 11:00pm Saturday as the first haats (makeshift cattle market) start closing.
