Dhaka, Feb 18 (V7N) — The crescent moon marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (February 17), prompting the start of fasting in the kingdom from Wednesday.

Following Saudi Arabia, Muslims in United Arab Emirates and Qatar also began observing the first fast on the same day.

In South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Ramadan typically begins a day later than in the Middle East due to geographical differences in moon visibility. Based on this pattern, the holy month is expected to commence in Bangladesh on Thursday (February 19).

However, the official start of Ramadan in Bangladesh will be confirmed only after the national moon-sighting committee verifies the sighting of the crescent.

According to the Islamic lunar calendar, Ramadan begins with the appearance of the new crescent moon, and its confirmation through moon sighting remains the traditional and religiously significant method for determining the start of the fasting month.

END/SMA/AJ