DHAKA: Clad in punjabi and paijamas, people said prayer, embraced one another and exchanged broad-hearted greetings as Eid-ul Fitr, the biggest religious festival of the Muslims, was celebrated across the country Saturday. 

The Muslim devotees streamed into Eid jamaats at mosques, eidgahs and makeshift eidgahs in the morning hours for the prayer, marking the conclusion of month-long daytime fasting.

The main Eid congregation was held at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises at 8:30am. Five congregations were held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Special prayers were offered at the congregations, seeking peace, progress and prosperity of the nation, and the Muslim ummah. Khatib of Baitul Mukarram Maulana Mohammad Salahuddin led the main congregation.

A tight security net comprising the Special Security Force, intelligence agencies, police and plainclothes personnel was thrown around the Eidgah where government leaders and other important personalities joined over an estimated hundred thousand people to say the eid prayer.

The country’s largest Eid congregation was held, as usual, at Sholakhia Eidgah in Kishoreganj.
 
Following the Eid prayers, people from all strata of society embraced each other and exchanged greetings in a spirit of unity, fraternity and equality as enshrined in Islam. They are also visiting houses of relatives, friends and neighbours to greet them.

This time the Eid was celebrated in the country after full 30 days’ fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan.

President Zillur Rahman exchanged post-eid greetings with invited guests at Bangabhaban.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also exchanged greetings with political leaders of different parties, diplomats from foreign countries in Dhaka and people from all walks of life at Ganabhaban.

Leader of the Opposition and BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia exchanged greetings with foreign diplomats and country’s elite at Ladies Club in the city’s Eskatan Garden area at noon.

Earlier, President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages greeted the countrymen and the Muslim ummah nations on the occasion.

Leader of the Opposition and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad also greeted the people on the occasion of the Eid. Besides, leaders of different political and socio-cultural organizations in their messages greeted the people.

The national parliament building was illuminated with lights marking the occasion. The national flag was hoisted atop government and non-government offices on the occasion. Main city streets have been decorated with miniature flags and buntings inscribed with "Eid Mubarak" in Bengali and Arabic.

Special diets were served in hospitals, jails, government-run children and shelter homes, socially handicapped and vagabond welfare centers and shelter homes for the destitute.

Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television as well as private television channels and radio stations are broadcasting special programmes on this occasion for the entertainment of people on the Eid vacation.

Underprivileged children had a free day at the Shishu Park to enjoy rides on the dummies of all that they might dream of having in reality someday.

Thousands of people have left the capital to celebrate the Eid with their loved ones. Launches, buses and trains leaving Dhaka for various destinations were crowded far beyond their capacity since Thursday. Even, some people were still on their way home when eid congregations had already started, for tremendous pre-Eid rush. Earlier, people completed their Eid shopping.

Every year, Eid comes at the close of month-long fasting and abstinence in fulfilment of a cardinal Islamic tenet. Muslims, rich or poor, wait fervently for this very day.

BDST: 0107 HRS, SEP 11, 2010.