14 Bhola villages begin Ramadan a day early

At least 3,000 families in 14 villages of Bhola began observing the holy month of Ramadan a day earlier, aligning their fast with Saudi Arabia.

According to locals, the residents started fasting on Wednesday after taking sehri early in the morning, local sources said.

The villages are spread across five upazilas of the district, where people have long followed the Saudi moon sighting to determine the start of Ramadan and the dates of Eid. Most of them are followers of the Sureshwar Darbar Sharif.

Maulana Sihabuddin, a resident of Tobgi Union in Borhanuddin upazila and a follower of the darbar, said their practice dates back more than a century.


“We have been observing Ramadan and celebrating Eid in accordance with Saudi Arabia’s moon sighting for over 100 years. This year is no exception,” he said.

According to him, around 3,000 families from 14 villages across five upazilas of Bhola have begun fasting early this year.

He added that the followers include disciples of the Sureshwar Pir from Naria upazila in Shariatpur, as well as devotees from Satkania in Chattogram and Bhandari Darbar Sharif.

Mosharraf Hossain, a follower of Sureshwar Darbar Sharif from Char Fasson upazila, said the tradition has continued for decades. “We do not wait for the announcement of the national moon sighting committee. Instead, we observe religious rituals in line with Saudi Arabia,” he said.

It may be noted that in Bangladesh, the beginning of Ramadan and the dates of Eid are officially determined by the National Moon Sighting Committee.

However, in some parts of the country, certain groups continue to follow Saudi Arabia’s moon sighting to observe fasting and Eid prayers.

AM/NSA