Villagers Celebrate Eid a Day Early in Patuakhali

In a unique observance aligning with the lunar calendar of Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, residents of Patuakhali District in Bangladesh celebrated Eid al-Fitr a day earlier than the national date. Approximately 25,000 people across 35 villages marked the festival on Friday, 20 January, with nearly 100 families in Badarpur Union participating in the early festivities.

The Eid prayer was held at 9:00 a.m. at the Badarpur Darbar Sharif, led by the mosque’s imam and khatib, Maulana Md. Shafiqul Alam Gani. Attendees followed the long-standing tradition of observing the festival based on the sighting of the moon anywhere in the world, in line with their religious guidance.

Local residents explained that this practice extends beyond Eid al-Fitr; adherents of this tradition also observe Eid al-Adha a day before the nationwide celebration.

One participant, Abdur Rahman, remarked, “Since birth, we have celebrated Eid in this manner. This custom has been upheld in our community for nearly a century. Today, we prepared traditional sweets like semai and payesh for all, and friends and relatives visit us with great enthusiasm.”

Another local, Md. Abdus Sobahan, added, “We follow the instructions of our spiritual leader, Pir Saheb. We fast a day earlier and perform Eid rituals accordingly. Our community observes both Eids a day before the rest of Bangladesh.”

All early Eid celebrants belong to the Hanafi school of thought and follow the Qadiri spiritual order.

Eid prayers were conducted in multiple villages across the district, reflecting widespread participation:

Maulana Md. Shafiqul Alam Gani emphasised the religious basis of the practice, stating, “The Hadith and the Qur’an guide us to celebrate Eid upon receiving the news of the moon’s sighting. Since 1928, we have faithfully observed Eid wherever the moon is seen. Today, through the Eid prayer, we prayed for peace and well-being for the Muslim Ummah.”

This early celebration highlights the community’s dedication to centuries-old traditions while uniting thousands in collective prayer and festivity.