Shomporko Desk:-Bangladesh has celebrated Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest festival of the Muslims after Eid-ul-Fitr, amid the coronavirus pandemic compounded by floods.
This year, Eid-ul-Azha has celebrated in a different situation without any outdoor programme and small Eid Jamaats at Eid grounds due to coronavirus pandemic.
The government has taken different safety measures to ensure that the celebration doesn’t worsen the outbreak. It urged devotees to avoid Eidgah or other open places for Eid congregations and offer prayers at mosques maintaining recommended health advice.
Thousands of Muslims joined Eid congregations in mosques Saturday morning. A mix of hopes and fears among people is defining the day.
All necessary measures were taken to ensure that the environment is not get polluted by the blood and waste material of the sacrificed animal after the Qurbani.
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 in their village homes.
The first congregation of this year’s Eid was held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 8 am. Imam Hafez Mufti Maulana Mizanur Rahman presided over the congregation.
The congregation was capped by prayers for the victims of the coronavirus and peace and welfare of the nation.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted the nation on the eve of Eid, saying the joyous occasion will “remove all the darkness and bring endless happiness”.
Hasina reminded all of the health protocols that need to be followed to reduce the risk of infection.
During Eid-ul-Fitr two months ago, Bangladeshis were housebound due to a lockdown over the outbreak. The government has lifted most of the curbs while the rates of infection and death have remained almost unchanged.
In the daily count on the eve of Eid, the health authorities confirmed 2,772 new virus cases, taking the tally to 237,661 while the death toll surged by 28 to 3,111.
Floods have hit vast swathes of Bangladesh amid the pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people are being forced to live under the sky as floods wreak havoc on the cropland, wash away fish enclosures and trigger large scale erosion, putting livelihoods at risk.
Almost half of the 64 districts in Bangladesh are in the grip of floods which are being seen as one of the longest in more than 2 decades. People in the flood-affected northern and central areas of the country also observed the festival of sacrifice amid the crisis faced by them.
Photo credit: Prabir Das
