What the Meteorological Department says about Eid-Ul-Fitr

As Muslims in Bangladesh prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan with the start of Shawwal in the 1446 Hijri year, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has released its predictions for the moon sighting.

As Muslims in Bangladesh prepare for Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan with the start of Shawwal in the 1446 Hijri year, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has released its predictions for the moon sighting.

While the National Moon Sighting Committee will make the final call, the department’s coordinates offer an early glimpse.

The prime window for spotting the Shawwal moon is set for March 30, from 6:32pm to 7:20pm, according to a report issued on March 13 by meteorologist Mohammad Abdur Rahman Khan.

If Ramadan lasts 29 days, Eid-ul-Fitr will fall on March 31 (Monday); if it stretches to 30 days, it will be April 1 (Tuesday). The government has scheduled holidays covering the full 30-day Ramadan period.

Khan’s report details the moon’s position: on March 30 at sunset (6:13pm), it will be 1.0524 days old, setting 43.4 minutes after evening twilight.

By March 31 at sunset (6:14pm), it will be 2.0528 days old, lingering 1 hour and 51.6 minutes post-twilight.

A department meteorologist, speaking anonymously, noted, “On March 30, the moon will be over one and a half days old, at a 14-degree angle to the horizon, and visible for a good duration. The odds of sighting it with the naked eye are high.”

This suggests Eid could land on March 31.

The official process

The National Moon Sighting Committee, chaired by the Religious Affairs Adviser, will convene on March 30 at Baitul Mukarram in Dhaka to confirm the date.

Per Islamic Shariah, a lunar month begins only with a naked-eye sighting. District Moon Sighting Committees, led by Deputy Commissioners across 64 districts and supported by Islamic Foundation officials, will relay local observations to the national body for the final decision.

With science and tradition poised to align, Bangladesh awaits a celestial signal to usher in its biggest festival.