Bangladesh has announced that Friday, March 24, is the first day of the holy month of Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from food, drink, and other physical needs from dawn until sunset. The holy month is also a time for self-reflection and charity.

Because the Islamic calendar is lunar-based, the beginning and end dates of Ramadan depend on the visibility of the crescent moon, which causes the fasting date to shift annually as well as in different countries.