Ruling Awami League and main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have been given permission by police to hold their rallies in the capital’s Baitul Mukarram’s South Gate and Nayapaltan respectively on 20 conditions on Saturday (October 28, 2023). Dhaka Metropolitan Police Headquarters issued separate letters to these parties in this regard tonight.  According to the letters, the Awami League got permission at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque while the BNP in front of their party office at Nayapaltan. Read: Panic grips capital city as AL and BNP flex muscles ahead of Saturday’s rallies The conditions state that DMP would only allow people to gather at the venues after 12:00pm, the rallies cannot go outside the allocated spaces, parties have to conclude the rallies within allotted time, no provocative or anti-state speeches should be given from the rallies, activists won't be allowed to carry sticks or rods in the name of carrying banners or festoons, organisers would be responsible if any untoward incident happen or law-enforcement situation deteriorated. Earlier, AL and BNP submitted applications to the DMP for the permission of the rallies on October 20 and 21, respectively.

Tomorrow's (July 28, 2023) rally of Awami League's associate organisations -- Chhatra League, Jubo League and Swechchasebak League -- will be held at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, instead of the old trade fair ground in Agargaon, said Afzalur Rahman Babu, general secretary of Swechchasebak League. "The rally cannot be held at the old trade fair ground as there is a scheduled programme of the president at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) next to the ground," he told reporters in Dhaka's Agargaon today. Also read: BNP must take responsibility if public safety is disturbed during movement: Quader A press conference regarding the rally will be held at the Chhatra League office on Bangabandhu Avenue at 5 pm today. Also read: AL’s associate organisations to hold rally on Friday too Yesterday, the three associate organisations of AL announced that their youth rally, that was scheduled for today, will be held on Friday. Also read: BNP defers tomorrow’s grand rally to Friday at Dhaka’s Nayapaltan The decision came after BNP decided to hold its rally on Friday, instead of Thursday.

Five Eid-ul-Azha congregations will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, starting from 7 am on Eid day. The first Eid jamaat will be administered by Hafez Maulana Ehsanul Haque, Pesh Imam of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, said a press release of Islamic Foundation. Govt fixes rawhide prices ahead of Eid-ul-Azha The second one will be held at 8 am while the next three jamaats will be held at 9 am, 10 am and 10:45 am, respectively. Sonamasjid land port to remain shut for 6 days for Eid-ul-Azha The main Eid jamaat will be held at 7:30 am at the National Eidgah but in case of weather related issues, the Eid jamaat will be held at 8 am at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, the Islamic Foundation said. Renovation work on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway to remain suspended for Eid

Like every year, there will be five Eid jamaats (special Eid morning prayer) will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque from 7 am on the day of Eid-ul-Fitr this year. Islamic Foundation, Bangladesh revealed the schedule in a press release on Tuesday. The first Eid jamaat will be held at 7 am and followed by three more at the top of each hour till 10 am. The last one will be at 10:45 am. Eid-ul-Fitr will be held on Saturday or Sunday depending on the sighting on Shawal Moon.    

The sale of religious books, halal fragrance ator, prayer rugs, and other items associated with Islam has increased exponentially ahead of Ramadan, on the premises of National Mosque Baitul Mukarram and other mosques in the capital. Prayer rugs, tasbihs and surma from Turkey, India, Pakistan and Iran are selling at different rates. A Turkish prayer rug is selling for upto Tk 5000, while Indian, Irani and Pakistani products price are similar. People can buy a jainamaz (prayer rug) at Tk100 to 1000 of domestic and Chinese quality, Tasbih at Tk 50 to Tk500, Ator Tk100 to 8000 based on quality. However, prices of all the products are higher compared to the previous years. The traders are concerned over price hikes of other goods, which may impact people's purchase of religious products. Raju Mia, a street vendor of Baitul Mukarram South gate told UNB that the business situation is not good this year so far. On average their sale is around Tk3000 which rose to Tk5000 to 8000 on Friday. His 6-member family depends on this small business, Raju said. Read: Commerce, Home ministries coordinating govt's tough stance on price gouging ahead of Ramadan Every Ramadan, Raju makes a handsome profit by selling these products, which helps him to maintain his family smoothly. The street vendors told this correspondent that usually wholesalers supplied these items as per orders. The Mitford area of old Dhaka is the wholesale market of Ator while Baitul Mukarram is another hub of Jainamaz, Surma and Tasbih supply, Muntasir said. Youth Masud Miaji, who arrived at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram told UNB, “I use Ator regularly, not just because the fasting month is coming. There is a thing about fragrance. Actually I don't use the other perfumes available in the market. They contain alcohol. As I always pray, I put on Ator.” Showing a bottle he just purchased, he said, “I always use this one flavor and brand of Ator. I used to buy it for Tk100. Then it was Tk130 and but now I bought it for Tk170.” "In fact, the price of everything is increasing. What else would the shopkeepers do?" Masud said, justifying the price hike. Tupi (skull caps) seller Nazer Uddin said that he has been in this business for 20 years. His shop is at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram Mosque. Read: Dates, fruits to be more costly during Ramadan due to LC opening crisis Styles ranging from Jali (netted) to Omani  and Pakistani brands are available, ranging in price from Tk50 to Tk500 per piece. Though the traders could not provide a clear or reliable estimate of the business volume of these products in terms of value, most of them think it is annually not less than Tk100 crore. As Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country, half the annual sales occur during the month of Ramadan, they said.    

The Baitul Mukarram National Mosque is scheduled to host five congregations on Sunday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims. In a statement, the Islamic Foundation said that the first of the five congregations will be held at 7am. The second will take place at 8am, the third one at 9am and the fourth one at 10am. The last one of the day will be held at 10.45am. The foundation also fixed Imams and Mukabbirs for the congregations. The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on July 10 (Sunday) as the new moon of the Arabic month of Zilhaj was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Thursday. The decision was made at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee after reviewing information about the sighting of the Jilhaj moon, said Md Abdul Awal Hawlader, additional secretary to the Religious Affairs Ministry. Also Read: Bangladesh celebrates Eid as pandemic fades The meeting was held in the office of the Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mukarram with Awal Hawlader in the chair.    

Several people were injured in a clash as Muslim devotees clashed with police in Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area in the capital after Jum’a prayers on Friday. The trouble began as the devotees brought out a procession in protest against the desecration of the Holy Quran in Cumilla.   Read: Another youth arrested in Cumilla over Puja incident Witnesses said a large number of devotees came out from the national mosque after the Jum’a prayers chanting slogans against desecration of the Holy Quran.  

Hefazat-e-Islam leader Mamunul Haque told a Dhaka court on Monday that he had gone to Baitul Mukarram on March 26 at the request of a police Deputy Inspector General (DIG). “On that day, I led the Jum’a prayer at Banglabazar mosque and learned that some worshippers had gathered at the Baitul Mukarram,” Mamunul said. “I went there at the request of a DIG and delivered a speech. I didn’t do anything wrong. We won’t go anywhere in the future at the request of police,” he added. The state counsel said Mamunul can’t issue such statement but the court permitted him to continue. Mamunul said the court could check his mobile call records to verify his claim. His lawyer said incorrect information about him was mentioned in the case filed at Paltan Police Station. Also read: Mamunul placed on 7-day fresh remand Later, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Sadbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhury placed Mamunul on seven-day remand in two cases. Inspector Moniruzzaman sought the court’s permission to show the Hefazat leader arrested in a 2013 case filed at Motijheel Police Station and 10 days to interrogate him. On the other hand, Inspector Kamrul Islam sought the court’s permission to show Mamunul arrested in a case filed with Paltan police over the March 26 violence at Baitul Mukarram. The court also heard the bail plea of the Hefazat leader who was produced before the court after the completion of his seven-day remand in a vandalism case filed with Mohammadpur police in 2020. After hearing, the court granted police four days to interrogate Mamunul in the Paltan case and three days in the Motijheel case. On April 18 this year, a joint team of Tejgaon Division police and DMP's Detective Branch arrested Mamunul from Jamia Rahmania Arabia Madrasah in Mohammadpur. Also read: Mamunul controversy: Jharna's father now in police custody Mamunul, who has been in the limelight due to some recent controversies, was held with a woman he claimed to be his second wife from a resort in Sonargaon on April 3. Later, Hefazat leaders claimed that Mamunul went to the resort with his “second wife” where locals confined and harassed him before calling in the police. 

The law enforcement came down on anti-sculpture protesters in the city's Paltan intersection on Friday.

The Sammilito Islami Dal, an alliance of Islamist parties, has demanded sending back the French ambassador to Dhaka in protest against comments made by Emmanuel Macron on Islam.