Ramadan begins in Bangladesh on Wednesday

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan will begin in Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The National Moon Sighting Committee announced the date after holding a meeting at the Islamic Foundation in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Md Faridul Haque Khan, the state minister for religious affairs, presided over the meeting.

The Muslims of Saudi Arabia started fasting on Tuesday as the moon was not sighted on Sunday.

Generally, Ramadan starts and Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha are celebrated in Bangladesh a day after those events in Saudi Arabia.

This year the government will not allow more than 20 worshippers at mosques during Taraweeh and other daily prayers as part of efforts to stem the surging coronavirus outbreak.

Bangladesh is also set to enter a weeklong strict lockdown over the coronavirus, and celebrate at home the Bangla New Year Pahela Baishakh on Wednesday.

Muslims will offer Taraweeh prayers after Isha prayers on Tuesday ahead of the first day of Ramadan.

The fasting on the first day of the month on the Islamic calendar will begin with the end of Sehri or Suhoor at 4:15am on Wednesday in Dhaka and adjacent areas while the fasting is to be broken with Iftar at 6:23pm.

The timings of Sehri for Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Tangail, Chandpur, Lakshmipur and Rangpur will be the same as Dhaka’s, according to the Islamic Foundation.

Sehri and Iftar timings in other parts of Bangladesh will differ by 10 to 12 minutes from the timings in Dhaka.