Due to the pandemic Corona Virus throughout the world, Certain number of people got the opportunity to perform Hajj in the last three years.  However, since there is no such situation, there are no obstacles and rules. The cost of Hajj package has also been reduced compared to last year. According to Dr Amr bin Reda Al Maddah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah for Hajj and Umrah Services, said that pilgrims will have the opportunity to perform Hajj this year at 30 percent less cost than last year. Al Maddah said that about 90 percent of the "Economic Hajj Package" has already been sold. He said that the local pilgrims from Saudi Arabia can pay for the Hajj package in three installments. Those interested in Hajj must pay 20% within 72 hours of registration to secure the place. The next 40 percent must be paid by January 29 and the remaining 40 percent by April 23.

One thousand 174 hajj devotees have returned to Bangladesh so far after performing the hajj rituals in Saudi Arabia this year. The number of the devotees calculated till Thursday 2 am. Bangladesh hajj office in Saudi Arabia delivered the information. Meanwhile, 16 pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia this year while performing their hajj. Of them 11 are male and five are female. Mentionable, this year 60 thousand 146 hajj passengers were permitted to perform hajj by the Saudi Arabian authority from the country. The passengers went to perform hajj boarding on 165 flights including hajj management persons and representatives. Of them 30 thousand 363 passengers went to KSA through Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights, 23 thousand 919 passengers went on Saudi Arabian Airlines flights and five thousand 864 passengers went there by another airliner. AH     

The holy Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, will be celebrated across the country tomorrow with due solemnity and religious fervor. Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th of Zilhajj month of the Hizri calendar as Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), on this day, some 4,500 years ago, offered to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS), who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Allah. But the Almighty in His benign mercy spared Hazrat Ismail (AS) and instead sent a ram to be sacrificed. To commemorate this historic event, the Muslims across the country will offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of Almighty Allah. They will offer munajat seeking divine blessings for peace, progress and prosperity of the country as well as welfare of the Muslim Ummah. President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting the Muslims in Bangladesh and all over the world on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha. The main Eid congregation will be held at the National Eidgah near the High Court Bhaban in the capital at 8am, said Islamic Foundation (IF). Eid congregation will be held at the historic Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj this year in a break of 2 years due to Covid-19 pandemic. Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Shamim Alam told BSS that Islamic scholar Mawlana Farid Uddin Masud will conduct the Eid jamaat at 9 am. A total of five Eid congregations will be held at the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The first Jamaat will be held at 7am to be conducted by Hafez Mufti Maulana M Mizanur Rahaman, senior pesh Imam of the mosque, said a press release of IF. Hafez Mufti Muhibullah Baki Nadvi will conduct the second Eid Jamaat at 8 am and the third one will be conducted Islamic Foundation's Mufassir Dr Mawlana Abu Saleh Patwari at 9 am.   Baitul Mukarram mosque Pesh Imam Maulana Mahiuddin Kashem will conduct the fourth Jamaat at 10am while the fifth Jamaat will be conducted by IF's Mufti Mawlana Mohammad Abdullah at 10.45am. Organizers said adequate water supply and security arrangements have already been made at the Baitul Mukaram National Mosque to facilitate the Eid-ul-Azha prayers. Eid Jamaat will be held at the South Plaza of the National Parliament at 8am while Chief Whip of Parliament, whips, cabinet members, lawmakers and Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat officials and employees and devotees will join the jamaat there. In the Dhaka University, two Eid Jamaats will be held at university central mosque - Masjidul Jamiya - at 8am and 9am. Senior Imam Dr Syed Muhammad Emdad Uddin will conduct the first Jamaat while second one will be conducted by senior imam Hafez Mawlana Najir Mahmud. Adequate security measures have been taken for peaceful and smooth celebration of the holy Eid-ul-Azha. The law enforcement agencies were also asked to ensure smooth movement of vehicles on highways, waterways and train routes. State-run Bangladesh Television and Bangladesh Betar as well as other TV channels and radio stations would broadcast special programmes on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha. On the day, improved diets will be served to inmates of government hospitals, prisons, orphanages, safe homes and shelter centers. On July 7, the government issued a circular with eight instructions, including maintaining the health rules, during the prayers. The guidelines included no illuminating will be allowed on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha celebrations, everyone has to perform ablution at respective residences before going to Eidgah or mosque, soap or hand sanitizer must be kept at the place of having ablution (wadukhana) at mosque or Eidgah to prevent the coronavirus infection, a worshiper (musulli) must wear mask and should not use the prayer mat (Jainamaz) and cap earlier kept in mosques. While performing Eid prayers, they must maintain a gap maintaining the health rules and social distancing, Musullis will have to stand keeping one row gap in prayers, Khatibs, imams, mosque management committees and local administration have been requested to offer doa to the Almighty Allah after the holy Eid-ul-Azha prayers to save the country and its people from the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, Khatibs, imams and mosque management committees and local administrations have been requested to ensure the proper execution of these health guidelines, in the case of animal sacrifice (slaughtering the sacrificial animals), the instructions of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock have been asked to follow properly. The local administration, law enforcement agencies, people's representatives, officials and employees of the Islamic Foundation and the management committee of the concerned mosques have also been requested to execute the directives of the government. Source: BSS AH

Pilgrims began converging on the holy city of Mecca for the largest hajj since the COVID-19 pandemic. Coronavirus led organizers to severely curtail access to the site that is considered one of the five pillars of Islam.One million Muslims are visiting Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the first hajj since the coronavirus pandemic led authorities in the conservative nation to restrict access to the holiest site in Islam. Saudi authorities have permitted 850,000 visitors from abroad into the kingdom for the annual pilgrimage which starts on Wednesday, a major step towards normalcy following strict pandemic restrictions. The decision to do so comes after two years during which access to the site was limited to Saudi residents. The one million number of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia and abroad is still considerably fewer than the 2.5 million figure of those who traveled to the holy city in 2019. The hajj is considered one of the world’s largest events in terms of the number of participants. On Wednesday, those arriving carried umbrellas to block the 42 degrees Celsius (108 Fahrenheit) heat. What restrictions are in place on those making the hajj this year? In order to be eligible for the hajj this year, pilgrims must be under 65 years of age and vaccinated against the virus as well as have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel. A lottery system was implemented this year, with millions applying online. Pilgrims to the hajj will not be required to wear masks or adhere to social distancing guidelines as was the case in the last two years. Prohibitions on touching or kissing the Kaaba, the black stone at the center of the holy site in Mecca, will remain, though. During the hajj, Muslims encircle and pray around the large cubic structure draped in golden-embroidered black cloth, in a ritual known as the tawaf. What have Saudi officials done to prepare for the hajj? On Wednesday, officials in Saudi Arabia inspected the holy site and stressed the country’s readiness as well as its goal of maintaining public health. In 2020, at the start of the pandemic, the Saudi authorities permitted only 1,000 people who were already residents of the kingdom to make the hajj. Last year, authorities restricted the hajj to just 60,000 fully vaccinated Muslim residents of Saudi Arabia. The unprecedented curbs on attendance devastated some Muslims who had spent years saving for the chance to make the pilgrimage to the most significant site in their faith. Officials in Saudi Arabia currently report over 500 new coronavirus infections per day. Over 70% of Saudis have been vaccinated. The Saudi Health Ministry said 23 hospitals and 147 health centers were available in Mecca and Medina for visitors. Saudi Arabia now allows women to attend the hajj unaccompanied by a male relative, after dropping the requirement last year. What does the hajj look like in normal times? Saudi authorities are keen to see the hajj return to the pre-pandemic normal. Pilgrims bring billions of dollars in income to the Arab state, the second highest source of income for Saudi Arabia after oil. According to the Koran, every Muslim of faith who is physically and financially able should make the hajj at least once in their lifetime. Five intense days of prayer and ritual await religious pilgrims in Mecca. The hajj traces the pilgrimage taken by Prophet Muhammad some 1,400 years ago. His path, in turn, is believed to trace the footsteps of the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael as they are known to Christians and Jews.

This year's hajj packages under government and private management were announced today. State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan announced the packages at a press briefing at the secretariat in the capital. In the packages, the hajj pilgrims will have to pay Taka 4, 62,150 for hajj package under government management while Tk 4,56,530 under private management, a press release said. Meanwhile, Shahdat Hossain Taslim, leader of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), said that detailed information regarding the private package will be announced on Thursday. Source: BSS AH

The holy Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune, will be observed throughout the country tonight with due religious fervour and devotion.   Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah decides the fate of all human beings fixing their 'rizq' (livelihood) for the next year.   President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday greeted all Muslims of the country and elsewhere across the world on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.   In separate messages, they urged the Muslim devotees to observe the holy Shab-e-Barat maintaining health guidelines and social distancing amid the coronavirus situation.    In his message, President Abdul Hamid said the holy Shab-e-Barat has come into mankind with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan and good fortune.   "In the subcontinent, the Shab-e-Barat is mainly celebrated as a night of good fortune. This holy night brings immense opportunity to obtain special grace and forgiveness from the Almighty Allah," the head of the state added.   Islam is the religion of peace and welfare, he said, adding that the ideals of Islam are the means of welfare for the present life of the people and their salvation hereafter.    Hamid added: "Along with mercy and blessings of the Almighty Allah, we will pray for continued progress and welfare of the country and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah on the holy night of Shab-e-Barat".    He urged the affluent people to come forward to help the distressed and poor people on the occasion.    He wished mercy, blessings, progress and welfare for the whole of mankind.    Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the night of fortune brings mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah for the whole of mankind.    Allah shows the greatness of forgiving and fulfilling desires, she added. The premier urged all to devote themselves to human welfare and nation- building imbued with the teachings of Shab-e-Barat.    Sheikh Hasina also called upon all to establish the spirit of Islam at personal, social and national levels shunning all kinds of injustice, violence and superstition.    The Muslim devotees would spend the night at mosques and homes offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran and seeking blessings to Allah for long life, peace, progress and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives and friends as well nation and the Muslim Ummah.    On the night, the devotees across the country would visit graves and pray for their beloved ones seeking their eternal peace. Many people will also visit Mazars and shrines all over the country.    Many families will prepare traditional foods like handmade rice-bread, beef and halua (a kind of dessert made usually from semolina, carrot, chickpea or papaya) both in rural and urban areas across the country.    A good number of Muslims will observe fast on the following day.    They will distribute food and sweets among the neighbours and the poor.    Besides, food and money will be distributed among the destitute people on the occasion.    On this occasion, the Islamic Foundation (IF) has chalked out programmes at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.    IF will hold waz (religious sermons) and doa-mahfils titled "Importance and Significance of The holy Shab-e-Barat" at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday and Saturday next after Maghrib and Esha prayers.    To prevent COVID-19 infections, all Muslims are requested to participate in the programme in accordance with proper hygiene rules.    Besides, religious sermons highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat will be delivered at various mosques after Maghrib prayers alongside holding while special munajat after Esha prayers tonight in the country.    Tomorrow will be a public holiday on the occasion of the holy Shab-e- Barat.   Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes on the occasion while newspapers will publish special supplements highlighting the significance of the night. Source: BSS AH

The holy Shab-e-Barat, the night of fortune, will be observed throughout the country tomorrow night with due religious fervour and devotion.   Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah decides the fate of all human beings fixing their 'rizq' (livelihood) for the next year.   President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today greeted all Muslims of the country and elsewhere across the world on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.   In separate messages, they urged the Muslim devotees to observe the holy Shab-e-Barat maintaining health guidelines and social distancing amid the coronavirus situation.   In his message, President Abdul Hamid said the holy Shab-e-Barat has come into mankind with the advent of the holy month of Ramadan and good fortune.   "In the subcontinent, the Shab-e-Barat is mainly celebrated as a night of good fortune. This holy night brings immense opportunity to obtain special grace and forgiveness from the Almighty Allah," the head of the state added.   Islam is the religion of peace and welfare, he said, adding that the ideals of Islam are the means of welfare for the present life of the people and their salvation hereafter.   Hamid added: "Along with mercy and blessings of the Almighty Allah, we will pray for continued progress and welfare of the country and greater unity of the Muslim Ummah on the holy night of Shab-e-Barat".   He urged the affluent people to come forward to help the distressed and poor people on the occasion.   He wished mercy, blessings, progress and welfare for the whole of mankind.   Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said the night of fortune brings mercy and blessings of Almighty Allah for the whole of mankind.   Allah shows the greatness of forgiving and fulfilling desires, she added.   The premier urged all to devote themselves to human welfare and nation- building imbued with the teachings of Shab-e-Barat.   Sheikh Hasina also called upon all to establish the spirit of Islam at personal, social and national levels shunning all kinds of injustice, violence and superstition.   The Muslim devotees would spend the night at mosques and homes offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran and seeking blessings to Allah for long life, peace, progress and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives and friends as well nation and the Muslim Ummah.   On the night, the devotees across the country would visit graves and pray for their beloved ones seeking their eternal peace. Many people will also visit Mazars and shrines all over the country.   Many families will prepare traditional foods like handmade rice-bread, beef and halua (a kind of dessert made usually from semolina, carrot, chickpea or papaya) both in rural and urban areas across the country.   A good number of Muslims will observe fast on the following day.   They will distribute food and sweets among the neighbours and the poor.   Besides, food and money will be distributed among the destitute people on the occasion.   On this occasion, the Islamic Foundation (IF) has chalked out programmes at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.   IF will hold waz (religious sermons) and doa-mahfils titled "Importance and Significance of The holy Shab-e-Barat" at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque on Friday and Saturday next after Maghrib and Esha prayers.   To prevent COVID-19 infections, all Muslims are requested to participate in the programme in accordance with proper hygiene rules.   Besides, religious sermons highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat will be delivered at various mosques after Maghrib prayers alongside holding while special munajat after Esha prayers tomorrow in the country.   The day after tomorrow will be a public holiday on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.   Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes on the occasion while newspapers will publish special supplements highlighting the significance of the night. Source: BSS AH