Eid-ul-Azha, the festival of sacrifice that marks the end of the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia is celebrated by the Muslims throughout the world, especially with the sacrifice of animals.

Gathering in thousands at different prayer grounds, mosques and open places, the Muslims of Bangladesh offered Eid prayers seeking divine blessings and peace, progress and prosperity of the Muslim ummah and development of the country.

After the prayers, the devotees embraced each other exchanged Eid greetings.

Muslims slaughtered sacrificial animals that commemorates the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son Ismael (AS) to the wish of almighty Allah some 3,800 years ago.

The main Eid congregation in the capital was held at the national Eidgah (Eid prayer ground) at 8:00am, conducted by the Khateeb of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque Moulana Obaidul Huq.

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangshad Jamir Uddin Sircar, Chief Justice Syed J R Mudassir Hossain, Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Sadek Hossain Khoka, ministers, members of parliament, diplomats, and political and military high ups offered their prayers.

Five separate Eid congregations were held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque at 7:00am, 8:00am, 9:00am, 10:00am and 11:00am. Besides, 361 Eid Jamaats were held in different parts of the city.

People from all walks of life streamed into the Prodhanmantri Bhaban (prime minister's official residence) and exchanged Eid greetings with Prime Minister (PM) Khaleda Zia on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha, reports UNB.

Wishing all a very happy Eid, the PM gave directive to her aides to look into the problems and needs of some visitors, which included providing physically handicapped poor with wheelchairs.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, Housing and Public Works Minister Mirza Abbas, PM's Political Secretary Harris Chowdhury, Dhaka City Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka and Mosaddek Ali Falu MP were present.

Earlier, the PM exchanged Eid greetings with ministers, MPs, judges, diplomats, and senior civil and military officials at her Hare Road office.

Chief Justice, former advisors of caretaker government, editors and senior political leaders were also among invited guests at the Hare Road office, the report says.

National flags were hoisted atop government and private buildings. The streets of the capital were decorated with colourful miniature flags inscribed with Eid Mubarak in Bangla and Arabic. In the night, many public and private buildings were colourfully illuminated.

On the day, the government provided improved meals for the inmates of prisons, hospitals, vagrants' homes and other state-run dormitories.

Underprivileged children enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Shishu Park in the city's Shahbagh free of cost.

Before the Eid, especially on Thursday and Friday people in hundreds of thousands left the capital for their village and small town homes to celebrate the day with their near and dear ones.

According to a preliminary estimate, around 50 lakh people left the capital to observe Eid elsewhere leaving the city streets look desolate.

UNB adds: Leader of the Opposition and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina exchanged Eid greetings with people from all walks of life at her Dhanmondi office on Saturday.

She also exchanged greetings with foreign diplomats and representatives of international agencies on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.

Party activists as well as common people met the AL chief and apprised her of their problems while exchanging greetings.

"It's a day of happiness, but this happiness remains elusive for the poor and low-income groups who are already battered by price-hike. They don't have two square meals a day," Hasina said.

The opposition leader also recalled the tragic deaths of party members including Ivy Rahman in the August 21 grenade attacks on an AL rally.

Later US Ambassador Harry K Thomas, British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury and diplomats from Muslims countries envoys met Sheikh Hasina and exchanged Eid greetings.

Senior party leaders Abdus Samad Azad, Amir Hossain Amu, Sajeda Chowdhury, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Obaidul Kader and Saber Hossain Chowdhury were present on the occasion.