DHAKA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- With due solemnity and religious fervor, Muslims across Bangladesh on Wednesday celebrated the first day of Eid-al-Adha that marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

In capital Dhaka and elsewhere across the country, Muslims offered special prayers seeking divine blessings, peace and prosperity in tens of thousands of congregations of Eid-al-Adha, also known as the festival of animal sacrifice.

The main congregation in Dhaka was held on Wednesday morning at the national Eidgah (ground specified for saying Eid prayers) in Dhaka where President Abdul Hamid and ministers, lawmakers and elite of society said their prayers amid tight security.

Security was beefed up in the country to avoid any untoward situation during the festival, which is celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

The festival is celebrated on the 10th day of the twelfth and final month in the Islamic lunar calendar after holy Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

It also occurs approximately two months and 10 days after Eid-al-Fitr, another biggest religious festival which marks the end of Muslims' holy fasting month of Ramadan.

After prayers, Muslims in Bangladesh sacrificed millions of animals such as sheep, cows, goats and camels in the name of Allah almighty.

Bangladeshi Fisheries and Livestock Minister Narayon Chandra Chanda had earlier said some 23 million cattle are usually slaughtered in Bangladesh each year, and half of these are sacrificed during Eid-al-Adha.

Every Muslim who has financial means sacrifices animals and distributes the meat to family and the poor.

Millions of Muslims and non-Muslim poor people in Bangladesh, who cannot afford to buy meat even once in a year, get a chance of eating meat up to satisfaction as rich people will distribute much meat of their sacrificial animals among their poor neighbors and relatives.

The Bangladeshi government declared a three-day holiday starting from Tuesday on this occasion.