Thousands join second phase of Ijtema
Prayers and sermons marked the first day of the second phase of Biswa Ijtema, one of the largest congregations of the Muslims after the Hajj, as it began on the bank of the Turag in Tongi yesterday morning.
Several lakh devotees from home and abroad have participated in the Ijtema.
Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and the adjacent link roads came to a halt for a few hours during the Juma prayers, creating a long queue of vehicles.
This year’s first phase of the Ijtema concluded with the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) on January 12, while the second and final phase will end tomorrow.
Meanwhile, two devotees died in separate accidents on their way to the Ijtema ground on Thursday night.
The deceased are Suruj Miah, 60, from Narsingdi and Gulzar Hossain, 40, from Gaibandha.
Deputy Police Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) Manzur Rahman said Suruj was run over by a covered van on the Station Road while coming to the Ijtema ground around 11:00 pm on Thursday.
Gulzar died after being hit by a train at Tongi Station on the same night, the policeman said.
A five-tier security system has been installed to ensure security for the devotees.
Police Commissioner of GMP Anwar Hossain said they had taken all measures to avoid any kind of untoward situation.
Some 8,500 members of law enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around the Ijtema ground.
Indian preacher Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, who was supposed to conduct the Akheri Munajat (final prayer) of the Ijtema’s second phase, will not attend the congregation this year “considering the overall situation”, said Wasiqul Islam, Amir of the second phase who will administer the Akheri Munajat this time.
Foreign devotees from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Turky, African countries, Europe and the USA have also participated in this phase, Wasiqul added.
Tabligh Jamaat has been organising Biswa Ijtema every year since 1967. In 2011, the organisers split the congregation into two phases.
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