Bishwa Ijtema: First phase begins Jan 13, second phase Jan 20

Staff Reporter :
After being suspension for two years due to the corona pandemic, the 55th version of Bishwa Ijtema, the world’s second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, will be held in two phases in January next year.
The first phase of the two-phase congregation will take place from 13-15 January and the second phase from 20-22 January on the bank of the Turag River in Tungi under Gazipur district.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal came up with the development after a meeting with two Tabligh Jamaat groups – Maulana Zubair Ahmad and Maulana Wasiful Islam held at the secretariat on Thursday.
The follower of Jubair group will take part in the first phase congregation, while Wasiful group in
 the second phase, the Home Minister said. “The historic Bishwa Ijtema hadn’t taken place in the last two years due to the covid pandemic situation. Considering the improvement of the Covid situation, the Prime Minister has given instructions for a short-scale Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi ground for 2023 in accordance with the health rules,” Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said.
There was and still a disagreement regarding the Ijtema in two groups, he said adding that the government had earlier advised them to perform Ijtema in two phases in order to resolve their disagreements.
“This time too advised them to conduct the Bishwa Ijtema seperately…the leader of one group is Zubair (Maulana Zubair Ahmad) and the leader of the other group is Wasiful Sahib (Maulana Wasiful Islam). Both of them used to do tabligh activities together earlier, but now they both have gone to different ends,” the Home Minister said.
Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “We invited them all and requested that the Ijtema should be done well and peacefully. Besides, we also requested them for taking decision together – who will do it first and who will do it later or can they organize Ijtema together? But, they were not agreed. Even, they failed to take the decision who will do it first and who will be later. They put the burden on the government for the decision, which we have finalized today in the meeting,”
The stakeholders will handover the field to the administration after ending the first phase of Ijtema for preparing the field for the second phase, he said.
Among others, State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan Dulal, State Minister for Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russel, Cabinet Secretary Khondaker Anwarul Islam, Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun and senior officials attended the meeting.