The holy Shab-e-Barat, known as the night of fortune, will be observed across the country tonight with due religious fervour and devotion.

The Muslim devotees would spend the night at mosques and homes offering prayers, reciting from the holy Quran, and seeking blessings to Allah for long life, peace, progress, and happiness for themselves, their families, relatives, and friends as well as the nation and the Muslim Ummah.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday greeted all Muslims of Bangladesh and elsewhere across the world on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.

In separate messages, they urged the Muslim devotees to observe the holy Shab-e-Barat maintaining the health guidelines as the infection rate of Covid-19 is in a rising trend.

The PM called upon all to establish the spirit of Islam at personal, social and national levels and shun religious prejudice and narrow-mindedness.

"Let us establish the spirit of Islam, the religion of peace, at all levels by avoiding all forms of injustice, inequity, violence and superstition," she said in a message issued regarding the holy Shab-e-Barat.

Hasina said the night of fortune brings mercy and blessings of the Almighty for the whole of mankind.

Urging Muslim devotees to observe the holy night maintaining the health guidelines as the infection rate of Covid-19 is rising, she said, "The holy Shab-e-Barat brings the message of happiness, peace and development for us."

Muslims consider Shab-e-Barat as one of the three most sacred nights and believe that on this night Almighty Allah decides the fate of all human beings fixing their 'rizq' (livelihood) for the next year.

On the night, the devotees across the country would visit graves and pray for their beloved ones seeking their eternal peace. Many people will also visit mazars and shrines all over the country.

Many families will prepare traditional foods like handmade rice-bread, beef, and halua (a kind of dessert made usually from semolina, carrot, chickpea, or papaya) both in rural and urban areas across the country on the occasion.

A good number of Muslims will observe fast on the following day. They will distribute food and sweets among the neighbours and the poor. Besides, food and money will be distributed among the destitute on the occasion.

On the occasion, the Islamic Foundation (IF) has chalked out programme at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.

Religious sermons highlighting the significance of Shab-e-Barat will be delivered at the national mosque at 6.30 pm (after Maghrib prayers) while special munajat will be offered after Esha prayers tomorrow.

Senior Pesh Imam of the National Mosque Hafez Mawlana Muhammad Mizanur Rahman will deliver the sermon and administer the munajat.

The day after tomorrow will be a public holiday on the occasion of the holy Shab-e-Barat.

Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar, and private television channels and radio stations will air special programmes on the occasion while newspapers will publish special supplements highlighting the significance of the night.