Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- Shab-e-Barat, the holy night of fortune and forgiveness, will be observed across the country on Thursday night with due religious fervour and solemnity.
The Muslims across the country will spend sleepless night at mosques and homes, offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran and seeking divine blessings for long life, peace, progress and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives and friends as well as the nation and the Muslim Ummah.
The Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah writes the fate of all human beings fixing their 'rizq' (livelihood) for the coming year.
The Muslims on this night visit the graveyards to offer fateha for the peace of the departed souls of their near and dear ones. They also visit the mazars of saints and distribute food and sweets among the neighbours and the poor.
Traditional foods like hand made rice-bread with beef and halwa would be prepared in the afternoon in the rural and urban areas across the country on Thursday.
Islamic Foundation Bangladesh and other socio-religious organizations have arranged Quran khwani, waz mahfils, milad and zikr, to observe the night.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will hold a milad mahfil at its Nayapaltan central office after Asr prayers on Thursday.
Jatiyatabadi Olama Dal will also hold a doa and milad mahfil on the mazar premises of late President Ziaur Rahman after magrib prayers on Thursday.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, private television channels and radio stations will air special programs, while newspapers publish special articles highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat.
Meanwhile, President Zillur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina greeted all Muslims in the country and elsewhere in the world on the occasion of holy Shab-e-Barat.
In their separate messages on the eve of the holy occasion, they prayed for peace, progress and prosperity of all.
President Zillur Rahman, in his message, prayed for the greater unity of the Muslim Ummah and the country’s continued progress and welfare.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called upon all to dedicate themselves to the cause of human welfare and development being imbued with the spirit of Shab-e-Barat.
BBN/SSR/AD-04July12-11:30 pm (BST)
