Ramadan begins Friday

Holy Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence for Muslims, will begin in the country on Friday as the moon was sighted nowhere in the Bangladesh sky on Wednesday.

Lailatul Qadr, the night of divine blessings and benediction, will be observed on the night of July 14.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee on Wednesday evening after reviewing reports on the sighting of Ramadan moon of 1436 Hijri.

Religious affairs minister and chairman of the committee Motiur Rahman presided over the meeting held at the Islamic Foundation’s Baitul Mukarram office.

Religious affairs secretary Chowdhury M Babul Hasan, director general of the Islamic Foundation Shamim Mohammad Afzal and Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Khatib Prof Maulana M Salauddin, among others, attended the meeting.