The holy Eid-ul-Azha, one of the major religious festivals of the Muslims, was celebrated on Wednesday (July 21) across the country with due solemnity and religious fervor and also with prayers to overcome COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's Eid was celebrated amidst fears of coronavirus as the pandemic faded the joy of the festival to a great extent.
Muslim devotees celebrated the festival across the country with maintaining health safety guidelines and social distancing in the wake of risks of the virus infection.
The main Eid Jamaat was held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the city at 7:00am followed by second, third and fourth Eid Jammat at 8:00am, 9:00am and 10:00am at the same place respectively. The fifth and last Eid Jammat was held at 10:45am.
President M Abdul Hamid offered prayers of Eid-ul-Azha along with his family members and some officials at the Hallway of the Bangabhaban.
The head of the state offered his Eid prayers at the Presidential palace maintaining strict health safety rules, including wearing facemask and maintaining social distancing as the traditional Eid prayers in the capital's National Eidgah ground was scrapped in view of Covid-19 outbreak.
The Eid jamaat was held at 8.30am. Pesh Imam of Bangabhaban Jame Mosque Mufti Maulana Saiful Kabir conducted the Eid prayers.
Secretaries concerned to the President Office, only some other key officials and staff attended the Eid prayers.
After the prayers, President Hamid spent his time with his family members at the Presidential palace. But no ceremonial greetings with serving delicious food items, in presence of country's distinguished personalities and foreign diplomats or guests were held there.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday greeted all Freedom Fighters (FFs) on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
Like the previous occasions, the Prime Minister sent flowers, fruits and sweetmeats to the war-wounded FFs and members of the martyred families at the war-wounded Freedom Fighters' Rehabilitation Centre (Muktijoddha Tower-I) on Gaznavi Road in the capital's Mohammadpur area as a mark of her good wishes for them.
On behalf of the Prime Minister, her Assistant Private Secretary-2 Gazi Hafizur Rahman Liku, Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Jahid Tusher and Assistant Press Secretary ABM Sarwer-e-Alam Sarker handed over these items to them in the morning.
Eid Jamaat was also held throughout the country with maintaining physical distancing and health safety protocols set by the government.
The Eid Jamaat of Sholakia Maidan, a hundred-year-old historical Eid congregation, was scrapped this year for likewise the previous year due to risks of Covid-19 outbreak.
In the main Eid Jamaat at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, its senior imam Hafez Mufti Maulana Mohammad and Muazzin of Baitul Mukarram Mosque Mizanur Rahman conducted the prayers.
Special prayers were also held seeking continued peace and development of the nation as well as global peace and for those infected and died from Covid-19.
However, after the Eid prayers, the ever-familiar scene of the devotees shaking hands and hugging each others did not catch the eye this time.
At the end of Eid-ul-Azha Jamaat, Muslim devotees sacrificed animals according to their ability in the hope of attaining infinite grace of Almighty Allah.
Heads of departments and government agencies celebrated Eid-ul-Azha by formulating their respective programs in the light of national programs.
As per the government directives, concerned authorities after consulting with local administrations, public representatives and dignitaries arranged Eid congregations at mosques, Eidgahs or open places maintaining the health guidelines issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
According to the notification, carpets were not laid on mosque floors while disinfectant was used at mosques before prayers.
The devotees brought their own prayer mats to the Eidgahs to say prayers. Hand sanitizer or soap and water were kept for washing hands at mosques and Eidgahs before entrench. Social distancing and health protocols were maintained.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also urged the countrymen to follow hygiene rules during sacrifice and remove wastes of sacrificed animals in a proper way.
The ministry also asked the City Corporations to take special measures to remove the sacrificial animals' wastes from the city streets on Eid day.
The Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th day of Zilhajj month of the Hizri calendar as Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), on this day, offered to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Almighty Allah some 4,500 years back.
But the Almighty in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail (AS) and instead of that sent a ram (sheep) to be sacrificed.
To commemorate this historic event, the Muslims across the world offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of Almighty Allah on the day. They also offer munajat seeking divine blessings for peace, progress, prosperity and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.
The government had declared three days official holiday-on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday marking the Eid-ul-Azha.
The government officials and employees have, however, been asked to stay at their respective work stations during the Eid holidays.
Adequate security measures were taken for peaceful and smooth celebration of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
State-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar as well as other TV channels and radio stations aired special programmes on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha.
On the day, improved diets were served to inmates of the government hospitals, prisons, orphanages, safe homes and shelter centers.
