Dhaka, June 7 -- With prayers rising and knives sharpened, Bangladesh welcomes Eid-ul-Azha-- a festival where outward sacrifice meets the deeper demand for inner purification.

The ritual sacrifice of animals at the heart of this occasion is intended to nurture a spirit of selflessness, a sentiment beautifully captured in the verses of nation poet Kazi Nazrul Islam's "Shahidi Eid": "Moner poshure kor jobai/ poshurao bache, bache sobai, roughly translated to "sacrifice your inner beast/then everyone, along with the animals, will live on."

This sacred Muslim festival, one of the most significant in the Islamic calendar, will be observed across the country on Saturday.

As in previous years, the principal Eid congregation is scheduled for 7...