Holy Ashura to be observed on July 6

The holy month of Muharram for the Hijri year 1447 will begin on Friday, June 27, as the new moon was sighted in Bangladesh on Thursday evening. Consequently, Holy Ashura—the 10th day of Muharram and a significant day of mourning and reflection in the Islamic calendar—will be observed on Saturday, July 6.

The decision was made during a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee, held at the Islamic Foundation’s meeting room in Baitul Mukarram, chaired by Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain, adviser to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The committee reviewed moon sighting data collected from district administrations, divisional and district offices of the Islamic Foundation, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, and the Space Research and Remote Sensing Organisation.

Key officials present at the meeting included AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs; A. Salam Khan, Director General of the Islamic Foundation; Md. Noor-e-Alam, Waqf Administrator; and representatives from the Information Ministry, Dhaka district administration, the Meteorological Department, and prominent Islamic scholars and clerics.

Ashura, commemorated on the 10th of Muharram, holds religious significance for Muslims around the world—marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), in the Battle of Karbala.