MADINAH, Saudi Arabia, July 1 (BSS) - President Mohammed Shahabuddin has
arrived in Madinah to visit (Ziarat) the Mazar of the Holy Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad (PBUH) after performing the holy Hajj in Makkah.

The Head of State reached Madinah at about 9:30 pm (local time) on Friday
night.

Earlier, he performed Tawaaful-Iftaadhah (farewell Tawaaf) at the Al Masjid
Al-Haram (Kaaba Sharif) on Friday afternoon (10 Zil hajj), the last day of
the holy Hajj ceremony.

President Sahabuddin arrived at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on June 23 as a Royal
guest on a 10-day visit to perform the Hajj.

As part of the Hajj procedures, the President along with his wife Dr. Rebecca
Sultana and other family members performed Umrah as Royal guest on June 24.

The President visited Mina on June 26 (8 Zil hajj) followed by a state
protocol.

He went to Arafah on June 27 (9 Zil hajj). President Sahabuddin spent the
whole day there (at Arafah) as part of the holy Hajj process like other
pilgrims.

He left Arafah after sunset at Muzdalifah and offered Maghrib and Isha
prayers there.

According to custom, all Hajj pilgrims spent the night there on the ground
under the open sky.

The President, after performing the Fazr prayers, went to Mina again on
Wednesday.

He performed stoning at Jamarat al-Aqaba, animal sacrifice, shaving the hair
and Tawaf al-Ifadah, which involves circling the Kaaba seven times, and Sa'i,
running or walking seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah, in
Makkah.

On the first day of Eid-ul-Azha, the President threw small pebbles or stones,
which he took at the night of Muzdalifah, at the "Great Aqaba" column.

The ritual is an emulation of Prophet Ibrahim (A)' s stoning of the devil at
the three spots where he is said to have appeared trying to dissuade him from
obeying Allah's order to sacrifice his son, Hazrat Ismael (A.).

Later, he went to the Royal Palace of Makkah from Mina again and performed
Tawaaf in Makkah yesterday (Friday). From there, he left for Madinah last
night.

The President will offer doa at the shrine of the Holy Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad (PBUH) in Madinah.

Afterward, he will leave for Dhaka from Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz
International Airport in Madinah on July 2 by a VVIP flight (BG-338) of Biman
Bangladesh Airlines.

The aircraft, carrying the President and entourage members, is likely to land
Dhaka on July 3.