Devotees offer Eid prayer at Sholakia amid sporadic rain

Lakhs of devotees have offered their Eid prayer at Sholakia Eidgah today amid sporadic rainfall.

The 195th Eid jamaat of Sholakia Eidgah was held at 10am on Tuesday. A four-tiered safety protocol was arranged at this large Eidgah.

Rainfall started before the jamaat but that did not dampen the spirits of the three lakhs people, who arrived from different parts of the country. They offered prayers amid the rain, said Deputy Commissioner Md Shamim Alam.

As the Eidgah was at full capacity within 8:30am many took part in the jamaat from the nearby roads, houses and the bank of Narsunda River.

Two trains named Sholakia Special Express were arranged by the Bangladesh Railways to ensure that people could reach the jamaat.

On 7 July 2016, four people, including two policemen, a woman and a militant, were killed in a militant attack at Sholakia Eidgah. Also, 16 worshipers, including police, were injured in the attack.

Since then, the local administration has tightened security around the jamaat.