The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on June 29.
The National Moon Sighting Committee announced the decision at a meeting held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the capital after the moon of the holy month Zilhaj was sighted in the sky of Bangladesh territory Monday evening, sources said.
The Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th day of Zilhaj.
Considering the convenience of Eid travel during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, the government has declared a holiday on June 27 through an executive order in the cabinet meeting on Monday.
The decision to declare a one-day holiday was made at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday at her office. Holidays on June 28, 29 and 30 have been announced due to Eid-ul-Azha on June 29. This time adding one more day to the Eid holiday, June 27 has also been declared a holiday. And since July 1 is a weekend, government employees are getting Eid leave for five consecutive days.
Eid-ul-Azha is one of the most important Islamic days observed by Muslims around the world. The annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, culminating in the Eid-ul-Azha animal sacrifice, is one of the main pillars of Islam.
This festival is a proof of obedience to Almighty Allah, according to different narrations of Islam, Almighty Allah instructed the Messenger of Islam Hazrat Ibrahim (A.S.) to sacrifice his most beloved object in a dream "Sacrifice your beloved object in the name of Allah".
Abraham received this order in a dream and sacrificed 10 camels. Again he saw the same dream. Ibrahim again sacrificed 100 camels. Even after that, he saw the same dream and thought, I do not have anything dearer than my beloved son Ismail (a.s.) at this moment. He Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) (Abraham in Christianity and Judaism) then marched towards the ground of Arafat to sacrifice his beloved son, it is the sacrifice and willingness to remember. According to religious accounts, however, Almighty Allah intervened at the last moment and provided a ram to be sacrificed instead of Abraham's son.
On this day of Eid-ul-Azhar, the (sacrifice) program usually begins with a special Eid prayer at Eidgao, the mosque. Where a livestock, usually a sheep or goat, is slaughtered. The meat of this sacrifice is then distributed in three parts, one part for the family, one part for relatives and friends and one part for the poor and needy people.