India, Pakistan, Bangladesh Announce First Day Of Ramadan

2026-02-18 02:22:25

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent appears in the night sky

PUBLISHED: Wed 18 Feb 2026, 6:50 PM

By:
Meher Dhanjal

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On Wednesday, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh announced that they have sighted the Ramadan crescent. This means that the holy month will begin on Thursday, February 19, in these countries.

The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee in Pakistan announced that the moon was sighted. The announcement was made by committee chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, as it met in Peshawar for the moon sighting, according to local media reports.

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In India, the crescent was seen in Assam and Bihar, as well as New Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, local media reports said. Additionally, in Bangladesh, the National Moon Sighting Committee announced that the crescent was seen on Wednesday, February 18.

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This also means that in the aforementioned nations, Taraweeh prayers will begin tonight.

Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, depending on when the crescent appears in the night sky. Sighting the Moon to determine the start of the month is a confirmed Sunnah (Prophetic teaching).

Why Ramadan's start date differs across the Muslim world

The beginning of Ramadan is not uniform worldwide due to differences in moonsighting methods. Generally, countries follow one of four approaches:

Local physical sighting (Ru'yah)

This method relies on direct human observation of the crescent using the naked eye. The sighting is confirmed by the actual spotting of the thin crescent moon in the evening sky after Maghrib prayer. Observers look toward the western horizon, and any confirmed sighting - by the naked eye or sometimes optical aids - is reported to an official religious authority, such as a moon-sighting committee or court. Authorities then announce the official results to the public.

Astronomical calculations

This method uses scientific data, such as the time of conjunction, moon altitude, and visibility criteria, to determine when the crescent can be seen. It is followed by some countries, especially where sighting is difficult.

Standard method

In some cases, Muslims follow the crescent moon sighting or calendar of another country with an established Islamic authority - often the nearest Muslim-majority country or a location like Makkah - to decide when the Islamic month begins.

Antarctica, for example, has no permanent Muslim population or official Islamic institutions, so there isn't a unique moonsighting system there the way countries have formal committees to declare crescent sightings. Muslims who happen to be in there, like researchers or staff at research stations, adapt by using this approach to sighting.

Hybrid approach

This method combines astronomical calculations and physical sighting. Calculations are used to determine whether sighting is astronomically possible and to guide observers, but the final decision still depends on an officially confirmed sighting announced by religious authorities. Calculations support the process but do not replace it, and Muslims have to wait for official announcements of sighting results.