UNB, Kishoreganj:: 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.
Authorities said all necessary preparations, including marking prayer rows, construction of the mihrab, whitewashing, installation of ablution facilities and overall cleaning, have already been completed.
Devotees are eagerly waiting to join the congregation, as many believe that offering prayers at Sholakia increases the likelihood of acceptance of supplications.
Tight security measures have been put in place considering past incidents, including the 2016 Sholakia Eidgah attack.
A multi-layered security measures has been established with the installation of 64 CCTV cameras and six watchtowers for round-the-clock monitoring by law enforcers.
Around 1,100 police members, along with teams from Rapid Action Battalion, five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh, five platoons of Ansar, and four platoons of the army will be deployed.
Besides, drone surveillance, metal detectors, archways and multiple checkpoints will be in place, with devotees required to pass through four-layer security before entering the Eidgah.
SM Farhad, Superintendent of Kishoreganj Police said adequate security arrangements have been ensured for a peaceful congregation.
To handle emergencies, fire service units, ambulances, medical teams and quick response units have been kept ready.
To facilitate travel for devotees, Bangladesh Railway will operate two special trains named ‘Sholakia Special.’
According to tradition, the start of the jamaat will be signaled by blank gunshots—three shots 15 minutes before and two shots 10 minutes before and one shot five minutes before the prayer.
Authorities also requested devotees to carry only prayer mats while entering the Eidgah.
