BNP slams govt for confusion over moon sighting

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today came down heavily on the government for confusing people in sighting the moon of Eid-ul-Fitr and said it is an outcome of the absence of good governance in the country.

“They (govt) announced around 8:30pm yesterday that Eid-ul-Fitr would be celebrated on Thursday as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Bangladesh sky. Later, they changed the decision. It is nothing but the lacking of good governance,” Fakhrul said.

Fakhrul came up with the remarks after placing wreaths at the late president Ziaur Rahman’s grave in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar area of Dhaka this morning.

Earlier, State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at a press conference yesterday said that the new crescent moon was not sighted anywhere in Bangladesh on Tuesday and thus the Eid would be celebrated on Thursday.

Later, around 11:00pm last night, he revised the decision as they later got information about moon sighting in the country’s sky.

The National Moon Sighting Committee took the decision at a second meeting last night on observing the holy Eid-ul-Fitr today after reassessing the information about the Shawwal moon sighting.

Claiming that a preparation is needed for celebrating Eid, Fakhrul said the government does not care about the sufferings of people and its accountability for such wrongdoings.

People are unable to celebrate the Eid with peace and happiness as many opposition party men have been kept behind bars in connection with politically motivated cases, the BNP leader said.

He said farmers are also being denied of fair price of rice this year and thus they have also failed to celebrate the Eid with happiness, Fakhrul said, blaming the government for creating a vacuum of good governance, accountability and democracy in the country.

Responding to a query over Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader’s recent claim of smooth Eid journey this year, Fakhrul said they (govt) always speak the lie and mislead people in many ways.

“Joy and happiness of home-bound people have already been shattered as many of them met tragic end of their lives on different road accidents during their Eid journey. Many people also failed to reach their houses timely due to mismanagement in the transport sector,” he said.