Over 5 lakh Muslims attend Sholakia Eid jamaat

Over five lakh Muslims attended the Eid-ul-Fitr jamaat at the Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj at 10 am this morning.

More than five lakh people attended the jamaat at this year's Eid-ul-Fitr, said Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad, president of Sholakia Eidgah Management Committee and deputy commissioner of Kishoreganj.

People from far and wide came to the Eidgah this morning to participate in the Eid jamaat. Two trains from Mymensingh and Bhairab reached Kishoreganj in the morning with the devotees. By 9 am, the Eidgah was packed with people.

Maulana Farid Uddin Masud, chairman of Bangladesh Islahul Muslimin Parishad, led the Eid congregation. This year, Sholakia Eidgah Maidan hosted the 196th jamaat.

According to tradition, before the jamaat started, gun salute was conducted. After the sermon, prayers were held seeking the wellbeing of the Muslim ummah, including Bangladesh.

The railway authorities also arranged two special trains, named Sholakia Special, for the movement of devotees from far and wide. One of the trains left Mymensingh and the other from Bhairab.

As part of the strict security measures, carrying anything except prayer caps, masks and prayer mats was prohibited.

A large number of volunteers and a few medical teams were on duty on the field to help the devotees.

There were also CCTV cameras and watchtowers at the entrances, including the field. And police drone cameras flew in the sky.

Four tier security measures were put in place in view of the terrorist attack in Sholakia in 2016. A total of five platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed besides Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, plainclothes police and detectives in white clothes were monitoring the field in coordination with Ansar members.

Apart from CCTV cameras, six watchtowers and drones were also deployed to keep an eye on the ground. Six ambulances and fire service remained standby round the clock for