UNB, Gazipur :
The second phase of three-day Biswa Ijtema, billed as the second largest congregation of Muslims after hajj, begins on the banks of the Turag River at Tongi on Friday.
The 56th edition of the Biswa Ijtema will began through “a’m bayan” (general sermons) after Fazr prayers with the participation of a large number of devotees including the followers of Indian Islamic preacher Maulana Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi.
Several thousand devotees are expected to offer Jum’a prayers, led by Maulana Saad’s son Yusuf bin Kandalvi, on the first day of the 2nd phase Ijtema.
Thousands of devotees from home and abroad have started thronging the banks of the Turag River to take part in the religious event to seek divine blessings of the Almighty Allah.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan inaugurated the Free Medical Camp of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh this noon (Thursday) to provide health services for the devotees.
Additional police will be deployed in and around the Ijtema venue to ensure security of the devotees. The venue has been brought under CCTV surveillance, said Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam.
The three-day Biswa Ijtema will end on January 22 with Akheri Munajat (final prayers).
Meanwhile, metro rail in Dhaka will be operated from 8am to 5pm on January 22 for the smooth movement of the devotees attending the second phase of Bishwa Ijtema.
The metro rail authority will extend their service hour to facilitate the devotees on the ‘Akheri Munajat’ day, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) (Public Relations) Nazmul Islam Bhuiyan told UNB on Thursday.
The 1st phase of three-day Biswa Ijtema ended on January 15 through the Akheri Munajat.
Tabligh Jamaat has been organising the congregation at the venue since 1967. In 2011, it divided Ijtema into two phases to accommodate a large number of attendees.
