Mosques reopen for all amid more infection fear

Saying prayers in congregation at mosques across Bangladesh will resume from today amid the increasing number of coronavirus infections in the country.

The religious affairs ministry issued a notice informing the decision on Wednesday, a month after limiting prayers at mosques on April 6.

It said that the congregation prayers at mosques can be offered subject to some condition as children, elderly people, sick persons and people attending sick persons would not be allowed to come to mosques.

The decision to resume congregation came few days after the government had decided to reopen the shopping malls.

The state minister for religious affairs Sheikh Md Abdullah told New Age that they decided to resume congregational prayers following requests from Islamic scholars and mosque goers.

He, however, admitted that resumption of congregational prayers posed risks of further escalation of COVID-19 transmission, leading thus to further deterioration of the situation.

The ministry’s public relation office Anwar Hossain told New Age that people would be allowed to say prayers in congregation at mosques from zuhr prayers on Thursday maintaining social distancing.

The notice said that all mosque goers must perform ablution at home before arriving at the mosque and there must be at least three feet gaps between each people in rows while saying prayers.

People can only offer farz payers at mosques and sunnat and nafl prayers must be performed at homes, it said.

Carpets would not be allowed on the floor and the mosques must be sanitised before each prayer, it added.

The ministry instructed that all mosque goers must bring prayer rugs with them, there must be soaps, hand washes and sanitisers at the entrances of each mosques and mosque goers must use masks and sanitise their hands before entry.

No iftar and sehri arrangements will be allowed inside mosques and not more than five people will be allowed for itikaf at each mosque during Ramadan, the notice added. 

The state minister Abdullah said that they will be monitoring mosques and none would be allowed for saying prayers if they did not follow the instructions.

The administration will look after all mosques to ensure social distancing there and the ministry is hopeful that they there will not be overcrowding there, Abdullah added.             

Earlier on Tuesday, 200 Islamic scholars issued a statement demanding immediate resumption of congregation prayers at mosques and the government has met their demands on the following day.

Despite criticism from people and health experts, the government on Monday announced the reopening of shopping malls and markets under some conditions for sales from May 10 amid the spiralling cases of COVID-19 infection and deaths in the country and during the nationwide shutdown.

On April 6, the government asked devotees to say their prayers at home as it barred outsiders at mosques, churches and temples across the country to check the transmission of coronavirus during the first week of April.

Then it said that maximum five devotees would be allowed to say regular prayers each time at a mosque while 10 shall perform weekly jumma prayers to limit public gatherings at mosques.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net