Mahalaya, an auspicious occasion that heralds the advent of Goddess Durga, is being celebrated at the dawn today through different rituals by Hindu community members across the country. (BSS Reports) With the beginning of 'Devipaksha', Mahalaya is observed six days before Durga Puja, the biggest religious festival of the Bangalee Hindu community. Usually, the Devi Paksha commences with Mahalaya Amavasya.  According to Hindu mythology, Mahalaya marks the last day of 'Krishnapaksha', which is a dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin. In the Indian state of West Bengal, Mahalaya is depicted in a show-tell manner, with songs, enactments and dances on regional television channels. The television show is also viewed by a lot of people specially children in Bangladesh at the dawn on the day of Mahalaya. The most popular rendition of it, however, has been in the sonorous recorded voice of legendary narrator and radio broadcaster Birendra Krishna Bhadra, whose rendition of mantras from holy book Sri Sri Chandi along with songs performed by others called Mahishasura Mardini are played customarily at the dawn of Mahalaya day in every Bengali household mostly in West Bengal as well as in Bangladesh. Marking the day, special programmes of Mahalaya has been arranged at different temples across the country, including the capital, today at dawn. Hindus will remember and pay homage to their ancestors, who passed away, by performing puja, and offering the Brahmins clothes, food and sweets in their name. Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee held a special programme marking the Mahalaya at Dhakeshwari National Temple at 6am. Gulshan-Banani Sarbajanin Puja Foundation held a programme to welcome Goddess Durga at 5.30am at Banani playground. Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has attended the event as the chief guest. 

The holy Eid-e-Miladunnabi, marking the anniversary of the birth and demise of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM), will be observed across the country on September 28 with due religious solemnity. The day is a public holiday.   A press release said, The decision was taken at the National Moon Sighting Committee's meeting held at the Islamic Foundation (IF) Conference Room at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque this evening with Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md Abdul Hamid Jamaddar in the chair.   The meeting informed that as the moon of Rabiul Awal of 1445 Hijri was not sighted in the sky of Bangladesh today, the holy month of Rabiul Awal will begin on September 17 (Sunday).   On this day in 570, the 12th of Rabiul Awal of the Hijri calendar, Prophet Muhammad (SM) was born in Makkah of Saudi Arabia with divine blessings and messages of peace for mankind. He also passed away on the same day.

Denmark's justice minister said on Friday that the Scandinavian country would ban the burning of Islam's holy book, the Quran. The government has rejected objections put forward by some Danish opposition parties saying such a prohibition would infringe on free speech. What the minister said A bill that is to be presented would "prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community," Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told reporters. He added that the legislation principally concerned burnings and other desecrations carried out in public places. "The proposal will thus make it punishable to, for example, in public burn a Quran, bible or Torah," he said, adding: "I fundamentally believe there are more civilized ways to express one's views than burning things."   Widespread outrage The move follows numerous incidents in recent months during which people have publicly burned or damaged copies of the Quran in both Denmark and Sweden in apparent hostility to the Islamic faith. The acts have fueled outrage in several Muslim countries and prompted calls for the Nordic countries to ban the practice. Last week, Sweden raised its terror alert level to the second-highest level for the first time since 2016 amid fears of attacks by people angered by the actions.

Ashura will be observed in the country on July 29 (Saturday) as the Muharram moon was not sighted in the Bangladesh sky. The day is a public holiday. The month of Muharram will start on Thursday, July 27. The decision was taken by National Moon Sighting Committee at a meeting of held at the conference room of Islamic Foundation at Baitul Mukarram office with State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan in the chair on Tuesday. On this day in the Hijri year of 61, Hazrat Imam, the grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), along with his family members and 72 followers embraced the martyrdom in the hands of Yazid’s soldiers at the desert of Karbala to uphold the teachings of the Prophet (SM). Shia community members will bring out Tazia processions in the city marking the day.

The holy Hajj formalities have begun on Sunday, june 25. The main activities of Hajj started in the morning, with the journey from Mecca and Mina. The throwing stones at the largest of three columns known as Jamarat will mark the end of Hajj on the 12th of Dhuʻl-Hijjah. The last flight for Hajj departed from Bangladesh on Saturday midnight. Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam, the executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, confirmed the matter that the final flight of Flynas Airline carrying the Hajj pilgrims has left for Jeddah. On Sunday, May 21, this year's Hajj pilgrimage began with the first Hajj flight of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The pilgrims are being transported by Biman Bangladesh, Saudia, and Flynas Airlines. Biman Bangladesh is carrying 61,151 pilgrims from Bangladesh, while the rest are being transported by Saudia and Flynas Airline. Biman Bangladesh Airline was operated the last Hajj flight on Thursday, june 22. The return Hajj flight of Biman will commence on Monday, July 03.