Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)-Muslims marked Eid-e-Miladunnabi with great fervor while the Christian community in Bangladesh on Friday celebrated the festival of Christmas while amid tight security across the country.
The Christmas festivities started with prayers and other rituals at midnight in all the churches and continued till morning in around 3,000 churches across this Muslim majority country, including 60 in the capital Dhaka, reports the Xinhua News Agency.
In order to thwart any untoward situation, security forces were deployed in large numbers to guard programs of Muslims and Christians throughout the country, which resulted in no report of such unwanted problems so far.
Christmas Day, called "Baro Din (Big Day) in Bangla, is a national holiday in Bangladesh and people from all religions join their about half a million Christian friends to make the most of the joyous celebrations which begin on the eve of the Christmas with singing of carols in public places like lobbies, restaurants and lounges.
Like previous years tens of thousands of people have left Dhaka for their village homes to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones.
Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and former prime minister Khaleda Zia have issued separate messages greeting the Christians and Muslims on the holy occasions
President Hamid hosted a reception to the Christian community members at the presidential palace on the occasion.
Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Jamal had said earlier there will be no problem in celebrating Eid-e-Miladunnabi and Christmas on the same day on Dec.
25 as the country's people have respect for other religions and "They're not fanatics."
Various Islamic and socio-cultural organizations and political parties have chalked out elaborate programs to mark Eid-e-Miladunnabi, when special security arrangements have been made across the country.
State-run and private tv channels and radio stations are airing special programs highlighting the significance of Eid-e-Miladunnabi and Christmas Day.
BBN/SK/AD