Illustration: Maisha Syeda; Photo: Collected

Seeing the new moon that announces the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan was once a matter of much pomp and fervour, although arguably subdued nowadays to some extent. 

People used to gather at Ahsan Manzil, Boro Katra, Choto Katra, and Hussaini Dalan to spot the crescent moon. Not only that, some people even used to take boats to the middle of the river for moonsighting. 

Once the moon was spotted, celebrations continued with fireworks and gunshots. 

Source: Dhaka Panchas Baras Pahle by Hakim Habibur Rahman