Eid-ul-Fitr on Monday

The Shawwal moon is in sight, heralding Eid-ul-Fitr for Bangladesh's Muslims after a month of fasting.

Muslims will celebrate the festival marking the end of Ramadan on Monday, a day after Saudi Arabia and other gulf states, announced the National Moon-sighting Committee on Sunday evening.   

The streets of capital Dhaka were empty as thousands of citizens were holidaying with family in towns and villages.

The three-day holiday followed a weekend, and the extra days somewhat drowned the suffering from bad roads, overcrowded transports and traffic.

Religious Affairs Minister Matior Rahman came to a media briefing after heading a meeting of the Islamic Foundation's moon-sighting committee at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

"The committee's members have reported seeing the Shawwal moon. Eid Mubarak!"

Religious Affairs Secretary Md Abdul Jalil, Islamic Foundation Director General Shamim Mohammad Afzal and BH Haroon, who heads the parliamentary committee on the religious affairs ministry, were at the meeting.  

This year's Ramadan ends with 29 fasting days, like in Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf region. More than a hundred Bangladeshi villages celebrated Eid on Sunday, to match their celebration with Saudi Arabia.