Hundreds of thousands gather for Eid prayers at Dhaka’s National Eidgah

Hundreds of thousands of Muslims of all classes, ages and professions have gathered at the National Eidgah in Dhaka for the main Eid-ul-Azha prayer service on Monday.

On Monday, Mulsims celebrated Eid-ul-Azha, their second largest festival, which signifies the spirit of sacrifice through symbolic cattle slaughtering.

The Meteorological Department had forecast mild rains on Eid day but the weather did not disrupt the prayer service in the capital.

President Md Abdul Hamid, Supreme Court judges, members of the cabinet, members of parliament, top government officials, politicians, educationists, professionals and people from all walks of life took part at the Eidgah service at 8am.

The prayer service was led by Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Pesh Imam Mufti Maulana Muhammad Ehsanul Haque. After the namaaz he led a prayer for the peace and prosperity of Muslims in Bangladesh and across the world.

Strict security measures were in place for the service this year as well. All attendees were searched before they were allowed access to the Eidgah.

Police had previously told attendees not to bring anything other than their prayer mats and their umbrellas. As every year, the Eidgah made separate arrangements for women attending the service.

Five prayer services are scheduled at Baitul Mukarram on Monday, with the first starting at 7am. Crowds of people came to the main service, stretching beyond the mosque and the boundaries of the Eidgah.

The devotees prayed for the establishment of a brotherhood of Muslims across the world and the development and prosperity of the Muslim community.

The attendees then greeted each other with hugs and returned home for the traditional Korbani sacrifice.