Muslims set to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha

The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country on Friday with due solemnity and religious fervour.
On the occasion, the Muslims across the country will offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of Almighty Allah. They will offer munajat seeking divine blessings for peace, progress and prosperity of the country as well as welfare of the Muslim Ummah.
The Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th of Zilhajj month of the Hizri calendar as Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), on this day some 4,000 years ago, offered to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Allah. But, the Almighty in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail (AS) and instead sent a ram to be sacrificed.
To commemorate this historic event, the Muslims all over the world slaughter sacrificial animals and draw inspiration from the unique example of sacrifice to please Allah as shown by two great prophets -- Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) and Hazrat Ismail (AS).
The government has taken elaborate programmes to celebrate the festival across the country with due solemnity and religious fervour.
The celebration will begin with Eid congregations across the country followed by sacrifice of cattle in the name of Allah.
Meanwhile, millions of people have already left the capital and other major cities to celebrate the Eid with their near and dear ones in the countryside.
Railway stations were seen overcrowded for the last few days as were bus and launch terminals as home-goers headed for their destinations. Makeshift cattle markets in the city as elsewhere have been witnessing a rush of buyers for sacrificial animals.
A three-day Eid holiday began Thursday. Newspaper offices would also remain closed for three days until September 26.
State-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar as well as other TV channels and radio stations would broadcast special programmes on Eid. Newspapers have published special supplements on the occasion.
The national flag would be flown atop government and non-government buildings and roadside poles to mark the festival.
Important public and private buildings would be illuminated in the capital and other cities.
President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting the Muslims in Bangladesh and all over the world on the occasion.
The capital's main Eid congregation will be held at the National Eidgah at 8:00am, which will be attended by President Abdul Hamid, among other dignitaries.
Special arrangements for women have been made at the National Eidgah. About 5,000 women can offer Eid prayers at the Eidgah.
Five congregations will be held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am and 10:45am.
Bangladesh's biggest congregation will be held, as usual, at Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj at 9:00am.
The two city corporations -- Dhaka South and Dhaka North -- will arrange 362 Eid congregations in the capital. Of them, Dhaka South will hold 228 congregations.
Outlying city corporations and district and upazila administrations have drawn up similar programmes to celebrate Eid. On the day, improved diets will be served at government hospitals, prisons, orphanages, safe homes and shelter centres.