Eid countdown: Moon watchers hold the key
The clock is ticking toward Eid-ul-Fitr, but will it dawn Monday or Tuesday? Bangladesh hangs on the crescent’s edge, with the National Moon Sighting Committee set to call it Sunday evening, March 30.
As Ramadan’s fast nears its end, millions await the verdict—prayers ready, feasts on hold.
The moon’s moment
Come 6:30pm Sunday, post-Maghrib, the Islamic Foundation’s meeting room at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque will hum with purpose. Led by Religious Affairs Adviser and committee head AFM Khalid Hossain, the group will scour Shawwal 1446’s moon-sighting reports.
Spot it Sunday, and Eid lands Monday, March 31. Miss it, and Ramadan stretches to 30 days—Eid shifts to Tuesday, April 1. The Islamic Foundation’s Saturday press release laid it out: one glimpse changes everything.
Got a sighting? Call 02-223381725 or fax 02-223383397, they urge—or ping your local DC or UNO. It is a nationwide hunt for that silver crescent, the signal to swap fasting for feasting.
Global eyes skyward
Beyond Bangladesh, the world’s tuning in. Australia’s already locked it—Eid is on Monday, March 31, per their Fatwa Council. Khaleej Times reported Saturday’s call: the Shawwal moon hits Aussie skies at 9:57pm this night but seals the deal Sunday. “Thirty days of Ramadan, then joy,” they say. Mufti Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed blessed the fest, nudging prayers for Gaza amid the cheer.
Brunei is next, joining Monday’s club. Gulf News pegs today as their 28th Ramadan day; Sunday’s crescent should shine clear. Malaysia is in sync—government word’s out for March 31, banking on a Sunday sighting.
Indonesia is also in the club. Following Australia, Brunei, and Malaysia, the archipelago’s locked in Eid-ul-Fitr for Monday, March 31, says Gulf News. With Sunday’s crescent set to gleam, the nation’s 200 million-plus Muslims join the global chorus—Ramadan’s curtain falls, and the feast begins.
A waiting game
For Bangladesh, it’s nail-biting ‘til Sunday’s dusk. Monday’s polao or Tuesday’s zarda? The moon’s whims rule. Australia, Brunei, Malaysia—they’ve got their dates; Dhaka’s still peering up. As families prep and kids dream of Eidiya, the committee’s call will spark the party—or stretch the patience one more day. Stay tuned; the sky is the limit.
