Ramadan begins

---

People buying dates for Iftar from makeshift shops in front of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Friday, on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan that has started from today (Saturday). — FE Photo

The holy Ramadan, the lunar month of self-purification through fasting and abstinence, begins today (Saturday) as the new moon was sighted in the country Friday, reports UNB.
The National Moon Sighting Committee made the announcement at a meeting held at the Islamic Foundation after reviewing the moon sighting reports received from different parts of the country.
State Minister for Religious Affairs M Shahjahan Mia presided over the meeting.
Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar and an occasion when Muslims across the world observe month-long fasting from dawn to sunset.
Muslims think of fasting, the fifth pillar of Islam, as a kind of tune-up for their spiritual lives.
In separate messages, President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia have greeted the Muslim Ummah, including the countrymen, on the occasion of holy month.
They expressed the hope that the sanctity of Ramadan will be maintained through showing restraint and patience at every sphere of life.