BNP leader Tarique sends Eid greetings to Bangladeshis, Muslims worldwide

"May Eid-ul-Azha bring happiness and prosperity in everybody's lives. May there be communal harmony and peace in society," he writes

BNP Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman has extended greetings to Muslims in Bangladesh and around the world on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

In a post to his Facebook page, he wrote: "I offer my heartfelt greetings and good wishes to the Muslims in Bangladesh and around the world. I pray for their incessant happiness and prosperity. Eid Mubarak."

"May Eid-ul-Azha bring happiness and prosperity in everybody's lives. May there be communal harmony and peace in society. I pray to the almighty Allah for this."

The party's de facto leader noted that people are struggling in the current economic climate. "People's lives are stuck in a quagmire of high inflation, escalated food prices, water, and gas crisis in households. People from the lower income groups are spending their days in anxiety."

"We should take care that no one starves during the festivities of Eid. The happiness of Eid should be equally shared among all."

In the post, Tarique describes the spirit of sacrifice that Eid-ul-Azha embodies. "The holy Al Quran says that the blood or flesh of the sacrificed animal does not reach Allah. Instead, it's your pure intention that reaches Allah. The pure intention of a person of faith is to get nearer to Allah. People sacrifice animals to get closer to Allah. Each year, Eid-ul-Azha arrives with the message of self-purification, self-fulfilment, and self-sacrifice. Despite the price hikes, social injustice and various troubles, Muslims in the country are filled with mirth and merriment."

Tarique highlighted the end of fascism in Bangladesh in his post, writing: "People in the country have had a tough time for the past one and a half decades. They will celebrate Eid-ul-Azha in a peaceful atmosphere after the fascist regime collapsed on the 5th of August last year. Integrity, and social and religious values plunged to a nadir during the fascist rule due to the illegal power grab by evil forces."

In the new political landscape, people's choices should be reflected everywhere to uphold peace and harmony, morality and to remove social disparities that there is no repeat of the looting, corruption and money laundering that ran rampant during the previous government.

"Eid-ul-Azha is a festival of sacrifice, and slaughtering an animal is a part of it. It's a way to purify the soul. It has been made mandatory for Muslims in line with the tradition of testing patience and faith. The spirit of sacrifice of Eid-ul-Azha creates unity, solidarity and harmony in society. If we reflect on the key lesson of sacrifice in our lives and strive for human welfare, we will surely be able to gain the satisfaction and closeness of the almighty Allah, the most gracious. Believers must dedicate themselves to that."

Tarique has been living in London since 2008 with his wife Zubaida Rahman and daughter Barrister Zaima Rahman. A series of cases during the Awami League regime prevented his return but he has since been cleared of those charges.