Thousands in Bangladesh celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr along with Saudi Arabia today

In keeping with Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, thousands of Muslims in hundreds of villages in the country's Munshiganj, Gazipur, Chandpur, Faridpur, Dinajpur, Pirojpur, Noakhali, and Patuakhali districts are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr today (30 March) a day ahead of the national observance.

Saudi Arabia is celebrating Eid today, after 29 days of Ramadan. Bangladesh is set to celebrate the biggest religious festival of Muslims tomorrow (31 March).

In Munshiganj, hundreds of Muslims in at least 15 villages under two upazilas are celebrating Eid today along with Saudi Arabia.

Eid congregations and prayers were held at the mosques and Eidgah Maidans in these areas this morning.

In Gazipur, people of a village under Sadar Upazila are celebrating Eid today keeping with Saudi Arabia. An Eid congregation and prayer was held at 7am.

In Faridpur, Muslims in 14 villages under Boalmari Upazila are celebrating Eid today. Eid prayers were held at different mosques since the morning in regular intervals.

The followers of Mir Zakhil Sharif from Chattogram's Satkania celebrate Eid every year in alignment with Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Muslims in 45 villages in Shariatpur and Madaripur are celebrating Eid today with religious fervour. The followers of Sureshwar Darbar Sharif have been celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr in line with Saudi Arabian timing for nearly 150 years.

Around 5,000 people from eight villages in Kolapara upazila of Patuakhali are also celebrating Eid today in line with Saudi Arabia, reports UNB.

Eid is being celebrated in two villages in Sadar Upazila as well.

Locally, these communities are known as followers of Elahabad Sufia and Chan Tupi from Chattogram. For nearly a century, they have been observing Eid in alignment with Saudi Arabia's moon sighting.

In Chandpur, at least 40 villages, including Sadra Darbar Sharif in Hajiganj Upazila, are celebrating the religious festival.

Pirzada Mufti Arif Chowdhury of Sadra Darbar Sharif said that their observance follows Quranic and Hadith principles, relying on moon sightings rather than any single country's decision.

Around 2,000 families across five upazilas of Dinajpur also celebrated Eid in advance by offering Eid prayers. Over 200 families gathered at a community centre in the district town at 8am to perform the prayers. Smaller gatherings also took place in areas like Islambagh, Upashahar, and Fultala.

Since 2007, followers in these regions have been celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha prayers in alignment with Saudi Arabia.

In Pirojpur, more than 700 families from 10 villages are also celebrating Eid today.

Locals, followers of Sureshwar Pir, are marking the occasion in six villages of Mathbaria Upazila, three villages of Kawkhali Upazila, and one village of Nazirpur Upazila.

Besides, people in several villages in Noakhali are celebrating Eid a day earlier in line with Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. At 9am, devotees from these villages gathered simultaneously for Eid congregations.

Residents of Laxminarayanpur, Harinarayanpur, Basantabagh, Fazilpur, and Ramballabpur villages, who follow this tradition, are followers of the Qaderia Tariqa, founded on the ideology of Pir Abu Muhammad Mohiuddin Syed Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA).

They have been organising Eid congregations in sync with Saudi Arabia for nearly 100 years, celebrating both Eids every year.