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Published : 25 Jan 2026, 02:29 PM
The Islamic Foundation has dismissed reports claiming that Sehri and Iftar times for Ramadan should be adjusted by adding or subtracting nine minutes from the Dhaka time, calling such information misleading and baseless.
In a clarification issued on Sunday, the foundation said it has not published or endorsed any guidance suggesting a nine-minute variation for different parts of the country, contrary to reports carried by some media outlets.
The foundation earlier said that fasting in Bangladesh may begin on Feb 19, subject to the sighting of the moon.
Based on this assumption, Sehri and Iftar schedules for the upcoming month of Ramadan were published on Saturday.
However, confusion arose after some outlets reported that people outside Dhaka would need to adjust the published timings by up to nine minutes, depending on their geographical location and distance from the capital -- a practice followed in previous years.
Terming the reports inaccurate, the Islamic Foundation said the published schedule is primarily applicable to Dhaka district and surrounding areas, but added that this year it has prepared separate Sehri and Iftar schedules for all 64 districts of the country.
“The issue of adding or subtracting nine minutes is completely wrong and baseless,” the foundation said in a press statement.
“No responsible official of the Islamic Foundation has provided such a statement or information.”
This marks the first time the foundation has published district-wise Sehri and Iftar schedules, eliminating the need for time adjustments based on Dhaka’s timetable.
As a result, fasting Muslims across the country are advised to follow the specific schedule issued for their respective districts, rather than calculating timings by referencing Dhaka.
Abdul Malek, khatib (orator) of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and convenor of the Sehri and Iftar schedule formulation committee, reinforced the clarification.
“People from other districts will not add or subtract any minutes from the Dhaka district schedule,” he said.
“Instead, everyone will follow the schedule prepared and published for their own district.”
If Ramadan begins on Feb 19, the last time for Sehri in Dhaka will be 5:12am, while Iftar will be observed at 5:58pm, according to the Islamic Foundation.
