Eid-ul-Azha being celebrated

Devotees by their thousand turned up at mostly makeshift prayer grounds on Wednesday morning as Eid-ul-Azha, the second-largest religious festival of the Muslims, was celebrated throughout the country with due religious fervour and solemnity.

The main Eid congregation was held at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises at 8.00am. The first congregation of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque was held at 7:00 am.
Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, cabinet members, advisers to the prime minister, state ministers, Dhaka City Corporation mayor, parliament members, Supreme Court judges, election commissioners, the attorney-general and senior political leaders joined around a hundred thousand people to offer Eid prayers at the main congregation.
Khatib of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Prof Moulana Muhammad Salahuddin conducted the Eid prayers at the mammoth congregation.
A special munajat was also held seeking divine blessings for peace, development and welfare of the country and its people and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah.
Stringent security arrangements were made by the law-enforcing agencies to maintain law and order. Policemen in plain clothes as well as uniform were deputed at Eid congregations for the security of the devotees.
After offering Eid prayers, people sacrificed animals. The process of sacrificing the animals will continue till Friday (third day of Eid) for the holy fiesta. People are sharing the meat with their family, friends and the poor.
The eid is being celebrated on the tenth of Jilhajj with sacrifices and prayers in memory of the sacrifice of Prophets Ibrahim Khalilullah and Ismail Zabihullah (peace be upon them).
It does not simply commemorate the unique sacrifice made by them--it also testifies eloquently to the way in which both father and son cheerfully offered to suffer any self-sacrifice, however painful or difficult it might be, in order to obey the command of Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia earlier gave separate messages greeting the countrymen on this occasion.
Dhaka City Corporation, like previous years, is carrying out massive cleanup drive after the slaughtering of sacrificial animals for the holy fiesta.
Besides, important public buildings, thoroughfares and road islands of the capital have been decorated with national flags and banners inscribed with `Eid Mubarak.` Major government buildings have also been illuminated.
-Bangla news