‘600,000’ attend Eid congregation in Kishoreganj’s Sholakia

According to tradition, the start the prayer congregating was signalled by three gunshots

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in an Eid-ul-Fitr congregation at the Sholakia Maidan in Kishoreganj.

The congregation, which began at 10am on Saturday, was the 199th Eid congregation at the grounds. The turnout was estimated at 600,000 people.

The congregation was led by Maulana Abul Khair Md Saifullah, the khatib of the local Boro Bazar Mosque.

A strict four-tier security system was arranged by the police, the Rapid Action Battalion, Army and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel to ensure the safety of those attending the congregation. A large number of volunteers and medical teams were also on duty.

After the prayers, Sholakia Eidgah Management Committee General Secretary and Kishoreganj Sadar Upazila administrator (UNO) Md Kamrul Hasan Maruf said: “Approximately 600,000 people offered prayers in this year’s Eid congregation, the largest in memory.”

People had gathered at the Sholakia Maidan before 9am and the massive grounds were filled to capacity.

According to tradition, before the congregation began, gunshots were fired three times to signal the start of the prayers. After the congregation and sermon, prayers and supplications were for the welfare of the Muslim community across the world, including Bangladesh.

The railway authorities have arranged two special trains called “Sholakia Specials” for those coming from far and wide to attend the event. One left from Mymensingh at 5:45am and the other from Bhairab at 6am. After the congregation, the participants returned by train at noon.

Bangladesh Government's State Minister for Jute and Textiles Md Shariful Alam, local MP Mazharul Islam, District Council Administrator Khaled Saifullah Sohel, Deputy Commissioner Aslam Mollah and Police Superintendent SM Farhad Hossain, political leaders and administration officials, along with people from all walks of life attended the congregation.

After the 2016 Sholakia militant attack, security measures have been strengthened surrounding the Eid congregation. During the prayers, a security cordon was formed consisting of five platoons of BGB, and 1,100 police, RAB, army and Ansar personnel.

The field was also monitored by various intelligence agencies in plainclothes. CCTV cameras and six watch towers were set up at the entrance, four drone cameras patrolled the sky and six video cameras in the field were used to monitor the area around the clock.

After establishing the Kishoreganj Zamindari Dewan Haibat Khan Bahadur, the sixth descendant of Masnad-e-Ala Isha Khan, established the Eidgah on about seven acres of land on the banks of the Narsunda River in the eastern part of Kishoreganj district town in 1828.

The field was named “Sowa Lakhi Math” (field of 125,000 people) because 125,000 people who participated in the first congregation held in Sholakia that year.

From there, the name evolved into “Sholakia Math” due to the linguistic drift.