DHAKA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Braving heavy downpour, Muslims in Bangladesh Wednesday morning offered special prayers at Eid congregation venues in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country seeking divine blessings, peace, progress and prosperity.
The largest Muslim festival marks the ending of the month-long fasting in the holy month of Ramadan.
Like previous years the main Eid al-fitr congregation in the capital Dhaka was held at the national Eidgah (ground specified for saying Eid prayers) where Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and ministers, lawmakers and elite of the society said their prayers.
Hundreds of Eid congregations were held at different areas of the capital city.
The country's largest Eid Congregation was held at Sholakia in Kishoreganj district, some 117 km northeast of capital Dhaka, where hundreds of thousands of Muslims gathered from across the country to offer prayers amid a heavy downpour in the morning.
In capital Dhaka alone, 36.6mm rainfall was recorded between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. local time.
The rain was attributed to the influence of a trough of westerly low over Bangladesh and adjoining areas.
Bangladesh Meteorological Department in a bulletin said parts of the country are likely to be battered by heavy rainfall in the next hours.
Despite inclement weather and discomfort on creaky and congested transport, millions of people have gone to their village homes to be with their near and dear ones and celebrate the biggest Muslim festival.
Officials said additional forces have been deployed at all strategic points including commercial hubs and main Eid Congregation grounds in major cities to shore up security on the day of Eid al-Fitr.
President Abdul Hamid Thursday hosted a reception in honor of foreign diplomats, top officials of the government and elite of the society on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr at the presidential residence.
The national flag of the country was hoisted atop government and non-government offices on the Eid day while the main streets of the Bangladesh capital were decorated with flags imprinted with "Eid Mubarak," meaning "blessed festival" or "May you enjoy a blessed festival."
Special diets reportedly were offered in hospitals, government-owned welfare centers and shelter homes for children, socially-handicapped people and the destitute.
