Bangladesh, May 28 -- Thousands of devotees have braved torrential rain to perform their Eid-ul-Azha prayers at the historic Sholakia Maidan in Kishoreganj.

The skies opened up just as the grand congregation got underway at 9am on Thursday, leaving people completely drenched in the open field.

Mufti Abul Khair Md Saifullah, the khatib of the town's Boro Bazar Mosque, led the congregation.

Following the longstanding tradition of the Sholakia ground, blank gunshots were fired in quick succession to signal the start of the prayers.

The three shots rang out 10 minutes before the start, followed by two shots at the five-minute mark, and a final shot one minute before the congregation began.

Counting from the very first assembly held back...