As many as 57,856 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be allowed to perform hajj this year after two years of gap due to Covid restrictions. State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan said this on Wednesday in a video message. Also read:Saudi raises number of hajj pilgrims this year Earlier, Saudi Arabia raised the number of Hajj pilgrims from inside and outside the kingdom to one million in 2022, authorities announced in a statement on April 9. Hajj is open to those who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and are under the age of 65, added the statement. Also read: Hajj management for pilgrims from Bangladesh will be better: State Minister Pilgrims travelling from abroad will also need to have a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before their departure for Saudi Arabia, the statement added. Last year, 58,745 pilgrims performed Hajj in the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, some 2.5 million people used to travel every year to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan has urged the people of the country to exercise restraint and not to take law into their own hands over the reported desecration of the holy Quran in Cumilla. “Don’t take law into your own hands. Everyone should maintain religious harmony and peace,” he said in an emergency announcement on Wednesday evening. Read: No evidence of disrespecting Quran found: Probe body

The Zilhajj moon has been sighted in Bangladesh and Eid-ul-Azha will be celebrated on July 21, the national moon sighting committee announced on Sunday. It said the month of Zilhajj will begin from July 12, Monday. The committee made the announcement at a meeting that reviewed information about the sighting of the Zilhajj moon received from across the country. Also read: Eid-ul-Azha: Moon Sighting Committee to meet Sunday State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan chaired the meeting at the Islamic Foundation's office at Baitul Mukarram. Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, is celebrated on the 10th day of the holy month of Zilhajj. Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha on July 20 this year as the Zilhajj moon was not sighted in the country Friday.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday opened 50 luminous model mosques newly-constructed across the country, fulfilling one of her election pledges. The landmark mosques have been built as part of the government’s move to set up 560 such mosques-cum-centres of excellence at district and upazila levels, aiming to spread Islamic fraternity, real Islamic values and practices, conduct research, create strong infrastructures for prayers for both men and women, provide religious teaching and training and enhance public awareness against social diseases. Read: PM to inaugurate 50 model mosques on Thursday The Prime Minister opened the 50 model mosques virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban on the occasion of the Mujib Year. State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan chaired the inaugural function, joining it from Osmani Memorial Auditorium here. The 50 mosques are at Savar upazila in Dhaka, Madhukhali and Saltha upazilas in Faridpur; Pakundia and Kuliarchar upazilas in Kishoreganj; Shivalaya upazila in Manikganj; Rajbari sadar upazila, Shariatpur sadar and Gosairhat upazilas, Shariakandi, Sherpur and Kahaloo upazilas in Bogura, Sapahar and Porsha upazilas in Naogaon; Sirajganj sadar upazila, Chatmohar upazila in Pabna; Godagari and Paba upazilas in Rajshahi; Khansama and Birol in Dinajpur, Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat; Panchagarh sadar and Debiganj upazilas; Rangpur sadar upazila; Mithapukur, Pirgonj and Badargonj upazilas, Haripur upazila in Thakurgaon; Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali, Gafargaon and Tarakanda upazilas in Mymensingh; Lohagara, Mirsarai and Sandwip upazilas in Chittagong, Jamalpur sadar and Islampur upazilas; Nabinagar and Bijoynagar upazilas in Brahmanbaria, Bhola sadar, Dakshinsurma upazila in Sylhet; Daudkandi upazil in Cumilla, Panchari upazila in Khagrachhari; Kushtia sadar, Khulna; Kachua upazila in Chandpur; Rajapur upazila in Jhalakathi and Chuadanga sadar upazila. Read:6-points anniversary: Bangladesh to keep advancing with dignity, says PM

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.

A hard-and-soft approach needs to be applied to control militancy as it cannot be contained just by enforcing law, said chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Md Monirul Islam.

The good relations that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had with the country's Islamic scholars and experts continues today.

Newly-inducted state minister for religious affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan on Sunday said there is a difference between a sculpture and idol, and sculptures are there in almost all the countries of the world.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Md Abdullah has been hospitalised with various health complications on Saturday night.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on Friday said Saudi Arabia, the host country of Hajj, is likely to take a decision over this year’s congregation by June 15.