Fasting for the entire month during the holy month of Ramadan is essentially a hallmark of the Muslim lifestyle. A systematic plan of action is necessary to maintain health while carrying out different religious activities like fasting, prayers, recitation of holy Quran etc effectively. Nowadays, various Ramadan apps can help to track religious activities. Let's delve into the top 10 free mobile apps for Ramadan available on both Android and iOS platforms. 10 Useful Ramadan Related Apps for Free Downloads on Smartphones  Al Quran (Tafsir and By Word) Developed by Greentech Apps Foundation on August 26, 2016, this app serves as a dedicated platform for studying and memorizing the Quran. It includes translations of every word in more than 35 languages, including Bengali, and offers access to over 70 tafsir. Users can listen to Quran recitations by more than 30 renowned reciters. This app provides statistics on previously completed verses during each recitation. Its self-contained library is made accessible through the verse bookmark feature. All these features are available without any cost and free from all sorts of in-app advertising. The current version is 1.26.1, last updated on February 22, 2024. It requires a smartphone OS (operating system) of at least Android 5 to run, and the Android app size is 21 MB. It has been downloaded over 5 million times and holds an average rating of 4.8 stars from 28,400 reviewers. The iOS version is 26.2 MB in size and has hit a pristine 4.9 stars after 348 reviews. It is compatible with iOS 14.2 or later versions. Read more: Best Quran Apps for Android: Read the Holy Book Online Tarteel: Quran Memorization When it comes to reciting the Quran directly from a mobile screen, Tarteel is the best. It utilizes AI to track the reciter's voice, displaying the corresponding verse on the screen with each recitation. It is free to use and does not contain any ads. However, there is a premium version, which offers various advanced features such as error correction in reciting. Released on January 31, 2016, Tarteel is crafted by Tarteel Inc. The mobile app requires 108 to 120 MB of storage, depending on different Android phones, and the OS must be Android 5 or higher. The latest version is 5.38.1, updated on March 6, 2024. With over 1 million downloads, it has been rated 4.7 stars with 38,000 reviews contributing. The iOS version’s size registers at 198.7 MB and requires at least iOS 13.4 to run. It has reached a 4.7-star rating from more than 2,500 reviewers. Read more: Free English-Speaking Mobile Apps for the Non-native Speakers Quran Majeed – Ramadan 2024 The most appealing aspect of this app, developed by Pakdata, is its user-friendly interface. Users can freely repeat verses, pause, and adjust speed while reading or memorizing the Quran. Additionally, the app features a Qibla direction compass, live streaming from Makkah and Madinah, a Hijri calendar, and a Quranic engagement meter. Created on August 18, 2014, and last updated on March 8, 2024, the app's current version is 7.3.2, requiring Android 5 or higher to run. With a storage capacity ranging from 54 MB to 120 MB, it has been downloaded over 10 million times and holds a score of 4.7 stars from 793,000 reviews. The iOS version holds a score of 4.8 stars from over 200,000 ratings. It consumes 137.5 MB of space and is compatible with iOS 12 or later versions. Read more: 10 Best Audiobook Apps for Android, iOS

Muslims in Bangladesh will start observing the holy month of Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence, from Sunday as the new crescent moon was sighted on Saturday. Lailatul Qadr, the night of divine blessings and benediction, will be observed on the night of April 28. The National Moon Sighting Committee took the decision at a meeting held at Islamic Foundation's Baitul Mukarram office. State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan chaired the meeting. Muslims are meant to fast from dawn to dusk during the lunar month, a time of restraint and austerity. The government has rearranged the office timing for the holy month of Ramadan from 9 am to 3:30 pm for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions. Besides, as classes were hampered for the Covid-19 pandemic, secondary and higher secondary institutions have been requested to continue in-person classes till April 26 to make up the academic losses. Also read: Healthy Sehri Ideas: What to eat and avoid for Sehri during Ramadan Meanwhile, residents of as many as 40 villages in Chandpur district began the holy fasting month of Ramadan Saturday, in accordance with Saudi Arabia. The villagers across the upazilas of Faridganj, Matlab North, Kachua and Shahrasti offered their Tarabi prayers last night and began their dawn-to-sunset fast after having ‘Sehri’ before sunrise.  They have been celebrating all religious festivals like Eid and Ramadan on the lines of Saudi Arabia, home to the world's most holy Muslim sites, since 1928 Maulana Zakaria Chowdhury, in charge of Hajiganj Sadar Darbar Sharif in Chandpur. Also read: Govt to sell milk, egg, meat at subsidised rates in city during Ramadan: Ministry

The Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection (DNCRP), under the Commerce Ministry, will launch a special drive in the wholesale market in March to keep prices of  commodities under control in the Holy Ramadan. AHM Shafiquzzaman, Director General (Additional Secretary) of DNCRP, came up with the disclosure in an exchange meeting held on Tuesday with the leaders of various business organizations of wholesale and retail market in the capital. The meeting was attended by Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, director of the department, deputy directors  Atia Sultana, Afroza Rahman, and Bikash Chandra Das and leaders of various trade organizations of wholesale and retail markets of Dhaka including Karwan Bazar, Moulvibazar and Shyambazar. READ: No hike in edible oil prices in 15 days, readjustment after that: Minister The DG of DNCRP has expressed satisfaction on the current stock situation of daily commodities. The price of oil has been fixed and will remain in force till the Ramadan and Eid.  “We have informed the traders today (Tuesday) that those who will buy and sell the goods must keep a receipt of how much they bought the goods for. Action will be taken immediately if there is any evidence of selling products at higher prices in the campaign. Jail or fine will be faced according to the law,” said Monjur Mohammad Shahriar, director of DNCRP. Talking with UNB regarding the meeting, Monjur Shahriar said the DNCRP would conduct a special operation from March to keep the prices of daily commodities stable during the upcoming month of Ramadan.

Muslims in Bangladesh will start observing the holy month of Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence, from tomorrow, Wednesday. The moon was sighted on Tuesday. Lailatul Qadr, the night of divine blessing and benediction, will be observed on the night of May 9. The National Moon Sighting Committee took the decision at a meeting held at Islamic Foundation's Baitul Mukarram office. Also read: 'No iftar gatherings, sehri in mosques during Ramadan' Muslims are meant to fast from dawn to dusk during the lunar month, a time of restraint and austerity. This year, maximum 20 people, including two imams, can attend Tarabi prayers in mosques. The step was taken to prevent the transmission of coronavirus. Besides, no public gathering for iftar will be allowed. Also read: Govt reschedules office timing for Ramadan On April 6, the Religious Affairs Ministry asked people to offer Zohr prayers at home instead of Jum’a on Friday considering the current situation of coronavirus. This year, devotees have been directed 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 April 5 issued new directives in this connection. The government has rearranged the office timing for Ramadan from 9am to 3:30pm for all government, semi-government, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions. Also read: Soaring veggie prices sour festive spirit for city residents Meanwhile, residents of as many as 13 villages in Faridpur began the fasting month on Tuesday, in accordance with Saudi Arabia. The residents of the villages under Shekhar and Rupapat unions in Boalmari upazilas began their dawn-to-sunset fast after having ‘Sehri’ in the early hours, said Mohammad Israfil Molla, chairman of Shekhar Union.

Mentioning that people are suffering a lot due to the COVID-19 shutdown, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government is trying to reopen some sectors gradually so that the poor can earn their livelihoods.   “We’re trying to reopen some (sectors) gradually. We’re taking measures so that people can earn some livelihoods because this is the month of holy Ramadan,” she said while receiving donations for her relief and welfare fund.   Over 55 government agencies, public and private organisations, and educational institutions on Sunday provided donations to the Prime Minister’s Relief and Welfare Fund to help the poor affected by COVID-19 fallout.   The Prime Minister said, “We know people are suffering a lot. We’ve been trying our best to reach them food at their doorsteps.”   Since the paddy (of this season) has almost been harvested, people are not supposed to suffer that much (from food shortage), she said calling upon farmers who harvested huge paddy to stand beside the poor at this crisis period.   Noting that the country’s economy has badly been affected by COVID-19 pandemic, Hasina said the people who were dependent on day labour have lost their work.   “Many people have become jobless in our country. It’s difficult for them to make a living, though we’ve been trying our best to help them,” Hasina said.

The Holy Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence, begins in the country on Saturday as the new crescent moon was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Friday.