~~~EID MUBARAK~~~

After the end of the Holy month of Ramadan & the end of Fasting, the Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated on 21 September 2009...After seeing the moon, the government of Bangladesh announced that the most biggest occassion of the Muslims "Eid-ul Fitr" will be celebrated on 21 September 2009. According to the observation of the moon the people of Bangladesh started fasting from 23 August 2009.

Eid ul-Fitr or Id-ul-Fitr (Arabic: عيد الفطر ‘Īdu l-Fiṭr), often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity", while Fiṭr means "to break fast"; and so the holiday symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period. It is celebrated after the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan, on the first day of Shawwal.



Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated in Bangladesh with great devotion. Everyone tries to dress well and prepares special dishes according to their ability on this day. Relatives and neighbors also share the joys of this festival with each other.

In Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal, the night before Eid is called Chand Raat which means, night of the moon. People often visit bazaars and shopping malls, with their families and children, for last minute Eid shopping. Women, especially young girls, often paint each others' hands with traditional "Mendi" and wear colorful bangles.

During Eid, the traditional greeting is Eid Mubarak, and frequently also includes a formal embrace. Gifts are frequently given—new clothes are traditional—and it is also common for children to be given small sums of money (Eidi) by their elders.It is common for children to "salam" parents and adult relatives, they usually get money from the adult relative, if the family is middle class or wealthy.

After the Eid prayers, it is common for families to visit graveyards and pray for the salvation of departed family members.

Special celebratory dishes in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh include sivayyan, a dish of fine, toasted sweet vermicelli noodles with milk & dried fruit. In Bangladesh, the dish is called shemai.

Some people also avail themselves of this opportunity to distribute Zakat, the Islamic obligatory alms tax on one's wealth, to the needy.

EID MUBARAK

...Ramadan Mubarak...

According to the observation of the moon the people of Bangladesh started fasting from 23 August Sunday...



Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان) (also written Ramazan, Ramzan,Ramadhan, Ramdan, Ramadaan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset.

Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. Ramaḍān is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allāh and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramaḍān, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds.Ramadan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were claimed to have been revealed[Qur'an 2:185] to the Prophet Muhammad (SM) (Peace Be Upon Him).

During the Ramadan festival, adults will “fast” for a month. This means that during the day they will refrain from eating, but at night they are allowed to eat small meals. Ramadan in Bangladesh is also a time to strengthen bonds between friends and family and Muslims will often choose to use the opportunity to visit each other or get together for supper. Children are not forced to take part in the fasting aspect of this religious festival but their participation is encouraged.

Special dishes are prepared during the Fasting of Ramadan, such as “Jilapi” which is a sweet, “Piazu” which is made from onions and “Beguni”, which is a brinjal dish. The importance and dedication to the festival of Ramadan is confirmed by the fact that many parents name their children ‘Ramzan’, in honor of this religious festival.

Ramadan is a festival of giving, taking care of others and educating the community about the Islamic religion. It is a warm and inviting festival that Muslims in Bangladesh anticipate with great excitement each year.

...Lailatul Barat (Shab-E-Barat) 6th August...

The Holy Lailatul Barat (Shab-E-Barat) was observed on the night of 6 August...

ALL the days and all the nights are the creation of Almighty Allah. Allah also created time and allotted a specific amount of time to every individual to accomplish what he or she can do in this world for the eternal Hereafter. During this allotted time, we are tested in the real turmoil of life....

Among the days and nights, some are glorious and significant. Such a night is Shab-e-Barat. In Persian, Shab-e-Barat means the night of good luck or the night of fortune. In Arabic, this night is known as 'Lailatul Bara'at', that is, the night of Salvation. This night of Barat is mentioned in the holy Hadith as "Lailatun Nisfi Min Shaban", that is the night of the middle of the month of Shaban...

Our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said, "When this night appears, you must spend that night with prayers and must spend the day of that night with fasting."

He also said that, "In this night Almighty Allah appears in the nearest sky of the earth and on behalf of Him a call being enforced that, "Is there anyone who seeks forgiveness? I will forgive. Is there any endangered person, who wants to escape from evil and danger? I will escape. Is there anyone, who seeks means of subsistence? Is there anyone? Is there anyone? Is there anyone?" Thus the call continues till the early morning...



In the holy Qur'an, this night has been mentioned as 'Lailatul Mubaraka' -- a blessed night.

The holy Shab-e-Barat is the night of fate. In this night, annual fate -- that is -- Taqdir is ascertained. So we should pass this night with proper prayers and Tilwat-e-Qur'an, Zikr-Azker, Milad-Qiam, Tasbih-Tahlil etc.

The occasion has a very firm position in the cultural horizon of Bangladesh. On this holy night of Shab-e-Barat, distribution of sweets (Halua) and bread among the poor, neighbours and relatives is undoubtedly an admirable custom encouraging brotherhood in the society. The holy Shab-e-Barat comes to say that holy Ramadan is coming, so get ready for fasting.

International Friendship Day 2009 (2nd August)

Nation celebrated the International Friendship Day on 2nd August 2009...the day was celebrated with lots of fun...young generation enjoyed the day with their friends and
exchanged various types of friendship day gifts...




International Friendship Day celebrations take place on the first Sunday of August every year. The tradition of dedicating a day in honor of friends began in US in 1935....

Gradually the festival gained popularity and today Friendship Day is celebrated in large number of countries. On this day people spend time with their friends and express love for them. Exchange of Friendship Day Gifts like flowers, cards and wrist bands is a popular tradition of this occasion...

"Happy Friendship Day"

Tributes to Michael Jackson ( 1958- 25 June 2009)

The "King of Pop" Michael Jackson has Died of Cardiac Arrest at age 50 in Los Angeles hospital on 25 June, Thursday....the king of pop is no more in the world.....

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958–June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the "King of Pop" in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums are among the world's best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and History (1995)....

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists....

Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundation, charity singles and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his changing appearance and behavior, generated significant controversy, damaging his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993, the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer experienced health concerns from the early 1990s until his death, as well as conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges...

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades...

On June 25, 2009, he collapsed at his home in Los Angeles. After being taken to the hospital in a coma, Jackson was pronounced dead...

Thank you MJ for 50 years of unforgettable magic... Your legend and music will live on forever and you will be sorely missed by all of us...

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (26 June)

In 1987, the UN General Assembly decided to observe 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking as an expression of its determination to strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse...

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) leads the international campaign aimed at raising awareness of the major problem that illicit drugs represent to society and especially to young people. The goal of the campaign, which runs from 2007 to 2009, is to inspire people and mobilize support for drug control...

The international campaign "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs" communicates that the destructive effects of illicit drugs concern us all. Their use harms individuals, families and society at large. Drugs control the body and mind of individual consumers, the drug crop and drug cartels control farmers, trafficking and crime control communities...

The slogan of the UNODC anti-drugs campaign to be launched on 26 June, the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is "Do drugs control your life? Your life. Your community. No place for drugs." The slogan will be used for three years and focus on different aspects of drug control: drug abuse in 2007, drug cultivation and production in 2008, and illicit drug trafficking in 2009...

Happy Father's Day

Nation enjoyed the father's day on 21st June with due respect. The day has been observed acknowledging the contributions, sacrifices and loves of fathers for their children....

Father's Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June in 52 of the world's countries and on other days elsewhere...

The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909...

Having been raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910...

In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956. In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on Mother's Day...