Bishwa Ijtema moves into 2nd day

The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema is continuing today in Tongi area on the outskirts of Dhaka.

 Maulana Jamshed Ali of India delivered sermons after Fazr prayers while Maulana Abdul Matin of Bangladesh translated those into Bengali.

The three-day Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the hajj, began on the bank of the Turag River after Fazr prayers yesterday.

Thousands of devotees, both from home and abroad, have gathered at the congregation venue and are taking part in the prayers and discussions.

 Many of them offered the prayers on roads and footpaths failing to manage places in the Ijtema venue, creating a long tailback on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

 The first phase of Ijtema will end tomorrow (Sunday) with Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers).

 Some 6,887 overseas devotees have reached the Ijtema venue from several countries, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Egypt, Oman, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iran, Japan, Canada, Cambodia, Mozambique, Russia, the USA, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Kenya and New Zealand.

 The district administration of Gazipur set up around 56 free medical camps in and around the Ijtema venue along with beds and almost all first aid and other treatment facilities with doctors doing round-the-clock duty at each centre.

 Besides, special measures were taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the three-day Ijtema.

 The 2nd phase of the Ijtema is scheduled to begin on January 20 at the same venue and end on January 22.

Tablig Jamaat has been organising the Ijtema at the venue since 1967. But, Ijtema is held in two phases since 2011 to ease the accommodation problem.

A five-tier security measure was in place for the event along with deployment of several thousand members of different law-enforcement agencies, including Rab and police.

Rab members are patrolling the ground and the adjacent areas with helicopters to monitor security measures.

Moulana Giasuddin, a senior member of the Ijtema organising committee, said devotees from 32 districts, 16 in each phase, are joining the two phases of Ijtema this year.

Meanwhile, six devotees have so far died at the Ijtema ground on Thursday and early Friday due to old-age complications and illness.

Two of the deceased were identified as Janu Fakir, 70, of Tangail, Saheb Ali, 35, of Manikganj and Fazlul Hoque, 57, hailing from Mymensingh district.

The namaj-e-janaza of Janu Fakir and Saheb Ali was held after Fajr prayers at the Ijtema venue.