People gathered in prayer and visited mass graves in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Thursday to mark 20 years since the massive Indian Ocean tsunami hit the region in one of modern history’s worst natural disasters. Many wept as they placed flowers at a mass grave in Ulee Lheue village, where more than 14,000 unidentified tsunami victims are buried. It is one of several mass graves in Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s northernmost province, which was one of the areas worst hit by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and the massive tsunami it triggered. “We miss them and we still don’t know where they are. All we know is that every year we visit the mass grave in Ulee Lhue and Siron,” said Muhamad Amirudin, who lost two of his children 20 years ago and has never found their bodies. "This life is only temporary, so we do our best to be useful to others,” Amirudin, visiting the grave with his wife, said. The powerful earthquake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami that killed around 230,000 people across a dozen countries, reaching as far as East Africa. Some 1.7 million people were displaced, mostly in the four worst-affected countries: Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. More than 170,000 people died in Indonesia alone. Even though 20 years have passed, survivors in Indonesia are still grieving the loved ones they lost to the giant wave that flattened buildings all the way to the provincial capital of Banda Aceh. Hundreds of people gathered to pray at the Baiturrahman Mosque in downtown Banda Aceh. Sirens sounded across the city for three minutes to mark the time of the earthquake. Read: Small tsunami waves splash ashore on remote Japanese islands Infrastructure in Aceh has been rebuilt and is now more resilient than before the tsunami struck. Early warning systems have been installed in coastal areas to alert residents of incoming tsunamis, providing crucial time to seek safety. The rebuilding efforts were made possible by the support of international donors and organizations, which contributed significant funds to help the region recover. Schools, hospitals, and essential infrastructure destroyed by the disaster have been reconstructed. In Thailand, people gathered at a memorial ceremony in Ban Nam Khem, a small fishing village in Phang Nga province that bore the brunt of the devastating wave in the country. The tsunami claimed the lives of over 8,000 people in Thailand, including many who remain missing, leaving a deep scar in the nation’s history. Nearly 400 bodies remain unclaimed. Mourners shed tears and comforted each other as they laid flowers at the village’s tsunami memorial. Around 300 people joined a modest ceremony with Muslim, Christian and Buddhist prayers. Urai Sirisuk said she avoids the seaside memorial park the rest of the year because the loss of her 4-year-old daughter still cuts deep every time she's reminded of it. “I have this feeling that the sea has taken my child. I’m very angry with it. I can’t even put my foot in the water,” she said. But, she said, “I still hear her voice in my ears, that she’s calling for me. I can’t abandon her. So I have to be here, for my child.” In India, hundreds gathered at Marina beach in the southern city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state. They poured milk into the sea to propitiate gods and offered flowers and prayers for the dead as drums beat in the background. Read more:7.1 magnitude earthquake hits off southern Japan; tsunami advisory issued According to official data, 10,749 people were killed in India, including nearly 7,000 people in Tamil Nadu alone. “It has been 20 years since the tsunami,” said 69-year-old Sadayammal, who uses one name. “We are here to pay respects to the people who lost their lives.” In Sri Lanka, survivors and relatives of tsunami victims gathered at the coastal village of Pereliya and laid flowers at a memorial that commemorates nearly 2,000 passengers who died when their train, the Queen of the Sea, was hit by the wave. Only a few dozen people are believed to have survived. Anura Ranjith joined the mourners to pay respects to his younger sister, Anula Ranjani, and her 9-year-old daughter who were passengers on the train. Ranjith never heard from them after that day. “I looked for them everywhere for years and still, no information about them. Their loss is a great sorrow and pain for me. I am still grieving,” he said. Overall, more than 35,000 people died in Sri Lanka in the tsunami. People across the country observed two minutes of silence on Thursday in memory of those who lost their lives.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday issued mandatory guidelines for offering prayers in congregation at mosques across the country during the seven-day tough lockdown from Thursday.The ministry, which also made wearing masks mandatory, directed the elderly people, children and the sick to abstain from going to mosques, said a notification on Wednesday.Besides, the notification said, each mosque should have enough soap, water and sanitizer to ensure health hygiene.The  ministry urged devotees to perform Sunnah prayers and ablution in their respective residences. READ: Govt lifts restriction on offering prayers at mosques In its guideline, the ministry said, the devotees will have to bring their personal prayer mats as authorities will not be allowed to lay out carpets on mosque floors.Local administrations will take legal action against those who will violate the directives, the notification added.

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid on Friday morning offered Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at Bangabhaban Darbar Hall instead of National Eidgah.  In the wake of the second outbreak of Covid-19, the traditional Eid prayers in the capital's National Eidgah Maidan were cancelled this year too. President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told UNB that the head-of-state chose to offer prayers at Bangabhaban Darbar Hall in view of the pandemic. The press secretary also said that a special munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for the peace and progress of Bangladesh. The Eid jamaat (congregation) was held at 10 am. Pesh Imam of Bangabhaban Jame Mosque Mufti Maulana Saiful Kabir led the Eid prayers, Joynal said. Also read: President wishes citizens on occasion of Eid  Members of the President's family and senior officials of Bangabhaban also offered Eid prayers along with him, following all Covid safety protocols. Eid greetings exchange was not allowed this year due to the pandemic. The President's speech congratulating the nation on the occasion of Eid was aired on Bangladeshi TV channels.

Hefazat-e-Islam’s chief Junaid Babunagri has said that the recitation of the holy Quran and prayers during Ramadan will stop the spread of the coronavirus. He said they will not allow the government to shut down madrasas in the pretext of lockdown and called for allowing people to pray at mosques during the month of fasting. “We won’t allow shutting down of madrasas in the pretext of lockdown to curb coronavirus and stopping prayers at mosques. Taraweeh, Jum’a prayers and ‘Etekaf’ will continue,” he said after an emergency meeting of Hefazat at Hathazari on Sunday. Also read: Worsening Covid crisis: Bangladesh resorting to full lockdown He said the National Ulama Mashayekh Council would take place on May 29 at Hathazari. “Coronavirus won’t have any effect because of recitation of the Quran, [discussion on] Hadith and prayers at religious gatherings,” the Hefazat chief said. Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh records highest single-day deaths “No madrasa student or religious scholar has been infected with coronavirus. The virus won’t infect because of religious gatherings and prayers during Iftaar,” he added. When asked about Mamunul Haq’s resort incident, Babunagri said it was a “personal affair”.

The government has asked the Muslim devotees not to arrange iftar gatherings and sehri in mosques during Ramadan to contain the recent surge in Covid-19 infections. The religious affairs ministry on Monday issued new directives in this connection. The guidelines also include instructions on praying in congregations at mosques. "The devotees must come to mosques after performing their ablution and Sunnah prayers at home. If they do not do so, they must wash hands with soap for at least 20 seconds while performing ablution at mosques," it read. Also read: Govt reschedules office timing for Ramadan The ministry said the worshippers, who visit mosques to pray in congregation, must arrive there wearing masks. Mosque management committees must ensure the availability of handwashing facilities – sanitisers and soap water – at the entrance. They have also been asked not to use carpets and clean the mosques with disinfectants before the five daily prayers. "The devotees must bring their prayer mats. Social distancing must be ensured while they stand for prayers" the ministry said. "Children, elderly, sick people and attendants to the ill must not attend congregations." Also read: Wear masks at mosques: Islamic Foundation Also, the ministry asked local administration, law enforcement, khatib, imam and mosque committees to ensure the implementation of the said directives. Local administration and law enforcement will take legal steps if anyone violates the instructions, the ministry said. In the wake of Covid-19 infections and fatalities, the government imposed a seven-day lockdown from Monday. Also read: Public transport to be suspended from Monday: Quader Most of the transport services would remain suspended while the office work would continue on a limited scale. On March 28, the Saudi government announced that there would be no iftar gatherings or Aitekaf at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah during Ramadan.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, began on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi after Fazr prayers on Friday.