Bangladesh will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Tuesday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh on Sunday evening. “The Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Tuesday as Shawwal moon was sighted nowhere in 64 districts of the country,” said State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan on Sunday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee after reviewing the information of Shawwal moon sighting at the Baitul Mukarram office of Islamic Foundation. Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated after a month of fasting Also read: DMP to devotees: Bring nothing but prayer mats and umbrellas at National Eidgah The main congregation of Eid-ul-Fitr will be held at 8:30am at the National Eidgah on the High Court premises in the capital on the Eid day.There will be five Eid jamaats (congregations) at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on the day. The largest Eid congregation at Sholakia Eidgah Maidan in Kishoreganj will be held at 10am on Eid day, after a Covid-induced hiatus of two years. Thousands of people have already left the capital to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones at their respective village homes. Also read: Eid-ul-Fitr being celebrated in two Chandpur villages

Bangladesh will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh on Wednesday evening. “The Eid [Eid-ul-Fitr] will be celebrated on Friday as Shawwal moon was sighted nowhere in Bangladesh’s 64 districts,” said State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee on Wednesday after reviewing the information of Shawwal moon sighting. Also read: Celebrate Eid where you are: PM Hasina Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated amid a global pandemic like the previous year after a month of fasting. The Religious Affairs Ministry has urged devotees to offer the Eid prayer at their nearest mosques instead of Eidgah and open spaces, maintaining recommended health guidelines amid the Coronavirus pandemic.  It also suggested disinfecting mosques before the Eid prayer and not rolling out carpets on the floors. Also read: How to celebrate EID safely during COVID-19 pandemic The devotees have been asked to bring prayer mats from home. The devotees must wear masks inside mosques and avoid using prayer mats and caps that were stored earlier there. Children, elderly people, people with physical ailment, and those involved in taking care of the sick will not be allowed to attend the Eid prayer. Also read: Rain may dampen Eid celebrations Besides, the devotees were requested to shun handshaking and hugging after the prayer which has been a common practice during Eid throughout the world. The Religious Affairs Ministry urged imams and managing committees of mosques to ensure proper implementation of the directives. There will be five Eid jamaats (congregations) at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on the day. Also read: 5 Eid jamaats to be held at National Mosque from 7am The first Eid jamaat will be held at 7 am while the next four will be administered at 8 am, 9am, 10am, and 10:45am respectively. However, amid the risk of virus infection thousands of people have already left the capital to celebrate the very auspicious occasion with their near and dear ones at their respective village homes. Television channels and radio stations will telecast special programmes on the occasion of Eid.

Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Thursday in Saudi Arabia, as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in the country's skies today. Al Arabiya English reported the news citing the country’s moon sighting committee. Wednesday will be the last and 30th day of Ramadan in the kingdom. Also read: Eid-ul-Fitr: BNP greets PM Hasina Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s National Moon Sighting Committee decided to meet on Wednesday evening to fix the date of Eid-ul-Fitr upon sighting of Shawal Moon. It is usual for the new moon phase to start a day later in Bangladesh, and so it is expected to announce Eid ul Fitr on Friday for Bangladesh.

The Met Office has forecast light to moderate rain all over the country during the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims. Bangladesh Meteorological Department made the forecast with an outlook for the subsequent two days, following the next 24 hours, commencing 6pm Tuesday. “Light to moderate rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty/squally wind is likely to occur at many places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions,” it said. Also read: How to celebrate EID safely during COVID-19 pandemic Some parts of the country might see moderately heavy to heavy falls in the next 24 hours, the Met Office said. Its forecast said rain and thunder shower activities may decrease in the next five days. The National Moon Sighting Committee will meet on Wednesday evening to fix the date of Eid-ul-Fitr upon sighting of Shawwal moon. Also read: Celebrate Eid where you are: PM Hasina Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia Eid will be observed on May 13, according to astronomical calculations. This is the first time Saudi announces the date of the Islamic calendar using astronomic technology rather than the traditional visual sighting of the moon.

The National Moon Sighting Committee will meet on Wednesday evening to fix the date of Eid-ul-Fitr, the biggest religious festival of Muslims. The Islamic Foundation issued a press release in this regard saying the meeting will be held at the foundation's Baitul Mukarram office after Maghrib prayers for reviewing information on the sighting of Shawwal moon. Mohammad Faridul Haque Khan, State Minister for Religious Affairs and also president of the committee, will preside over the meeting, it added. People have been requested to inform the committee over following phone and fax numbers if they see the Shawwal moon anywhere in Bangladesh sky. They also can report to the corresponding upazila nirbahi officers or deputy commissioners. The phone numbers are: 9559493, 9555947, 9556407 and 9558337 while the fax numbers are 9563397 and 9555951.

Eid-ul-Fitr, the largest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on Monday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh sky on Saturday.