Staff Reporter:
Holy Ashura, the 10th of Muharram in the Hijri year 1448, is being observed across the country on Friday with due solemnity and mourning.
To observe the day, devotees from the Shia community started Tazia processions from different parts of the capital, including Old Dhaka’s Hussaini Dalan Imambara.
From the early morning, devotees started gathering at the Hussaini Dalan Imambara, holding bamboo poles with various flags mounted on top, along with black and golden tassels, while wearing black headbands.
The procession started at around 10:00am from the north gate of the Hussaini Dalan Imambara and wound through different parts of the capital before ending in Dhanmondi at around 2:30pm.
The mourners were seen barefoot, beating their chests in grief while chanting “Hai Hussein, Hai Hussein” and other religious cries.
Strict security measures have been put in place across the capital centring on the Tazia procession. Members of the law enforcement agencies have been deployed at the Hussaini Dalan Imambara and surrounding areas.
Holy Ashura holds profound religious, historical and spiritual significance for the Muslim Ummah as it commemorates the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), the beloved grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), and his companions in the Battle of Karbala.
On the 10th of Muharram in 61 Hijri (680 AD), Imam Hussain (RA), members of his family and close companions embraced martyrdom on the plains of Karbala in present-day Iraq while standing for truth and justice against the forces of Yazid.
Their sacrifice in defence of justice, human dignity and the true ideals of Islam remains one of the most significant chapters in Islamic history.
