Eid-ul-Adha to be celebrated on 10 July

Bangladesh will celebrate Eid-ul-Adha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims, on 10 July as the moon for the month of Zilhajj, on the Islamic calendar was sighted on Thursday.

The National Moon Sighting Committee came up with the decision after reviewing information about the sighting of the moon at a meeting held at the office of the Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mukarram on Thursday.

Md Abdul Awal Hawladar, additional secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, who presided over the meeting, said, "The holy month of Zilhajj will start from 1 July as the moon was visible in the sky of Bangladesh today (Thursday)."

The Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th day of Zilhajj month of the Hizri calendar as Hazrat Ibrahim (AS), on this day, offered to sacrifice his beloved son Hazrat Ismail (AS) who willingly submitted to the will of his father to please Almighty Allah some 4,500 years back.

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 world offer prayers in congregations and sacrifice animals in the name of Almighty Allah on the day.

They also offer munajat seeking divine blessings for peace, progress, prosperity and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.