Eid-ul-Azha: Bangladesh gears up for sacred celebrations on Saturday

The country is ready to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on Saturday (June 7).

All preparations are in place to observe the day with both religious fervour and festive joy.

Eid-ul-Azha, also known as the “Qurani Eid,” marks the devotion of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) as he was ready to sacrifice his son, Hazrat Ismail (AS), at Allah’s command. In the end, Allah sent a ram instead.

Muslims honour this moment by sacrificing animals. The meat is shared among family, neighbours, and the poor.

Eid day in Bangladesh begins with special prayers, thousands of mosques and open fields, or Eidgahs, hosts Eid jamaats, according to UNB report.

This year, the main Eid congregation is scheduled to be held at the Jatiya Eidgah at 7:30 am. However, if the weather is unfavorable, the Eid prayer will not take place there. In that case, it will be held at the National Mosque Baitul Mukarram around 8:00 am.

Besides, at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, five jamaats will be held between 7am and 10:45am, according to the Islamic Foundation.

In total, 1,621 mosques and 118 Eidgahs in Dhaka will hold prayers.

The ‘Shia’ and ‘Ahmadiyya’ communities will also arrange eight separate congregations.

Security has been tightened across the capital. Over 500 police patrol teams will be on duty during the night, and 250 during the day. CCTV cameras, metal detectors, and archways have been set up at key prayer spots.

Separate security has been arranged for women worshippers. SWAT, bomb disposal units, and plainclothes police will remain alert.

Dhaka’s metro rail will be closed on Eid day. According to Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), services will resume on Sunday (June 8) at 8am. Trains will run every 30 minutes.

From June 9, the metro rail will follow the regular holiday timetable.

To help holiday travel, all CNG and fuel stations have been asked to stay open 24 hours a day for 13 days.

This year’s Eid comes with a long 10-day holiday, starting from Thursday (June 5). It has led to one of the biggest waves of people leaving Dhaka in recent times.

Since May 30, when schools closed, the number of travellers has kept rising. By Wednesday, the last workday before Eid, the rush peaked.

Terminals like Sadarghat, Kamalapur, and bus stations have been packed with people since morning.

Meanwhile, police have warned about rising crime during the Eid rush. Fraud gangs using microbuses are active. They pick up passengers and then rob them.

Passengers are being urged not to accept food or drinks from strangers and to avoid unauthorised vehicles. The notorious ‘ogyan party’ and ‘molom party’ gangs are also reportedly active.