2nd phase of Biswa Ijtema begins

Muslim devotees take part in Juma prayers yesterday, the first day of the second phase of Biswa Ijtema, on the banks of Turag in Tongi. Photo: Rashed Shumon

The second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second largest Muslim congregation after hajj, began yesterday after the morning's Fazr prayers with a religious sermon by Indian Islamic scholar Moulana Md Ismail Hossain.
This is the third year that the Ijtema is being held in two phases on the banks of Turag in Tongi, around 20 kilometres off the capital, to enable smooth management and security checks.
The second phase will conclude tomorrow with final supplication -- Akheri Munajat. The first phase was held from January 11 to 13.
The venue turned into a sea of people as lakhs of devotees, including around 2,500 from 77 countries, arrived for yesterday's Juma prayers, led by Maulana Qwari Zobayer, imam of Kakrail mosque.
Like in the first phase, several hundred women arrived at the Ijtema grounds, renting adjoining houses and shops for a place to sit and take part in the prayers.
The gathering spilled over to adjoining areas with a huge number of devotees performing the prayers on the streets and many more on the roofs of buses and buildings because of a shortage of space on the 160-acre grounds.
Vehicular movement on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway was halted for over one hour due to the devotees praying on the road.
Four devotees died of old age complications and cardiac arrest on Thursday. They are Nazir Ahmed, 56, of Hossainpur in Comilla; Badhon Fakir, 70, of Tongipara of Gopalganj; Shamsul Haque, 70, of Sonadanga of Khulna; and Afzal Hossian, 60, of Bogra.
Over nine different organisations are providing free healthcare services by setting up medical camps near the Ijtema grounds.
Police, Rapid Action Battalion and intelligence agency members, in uniform and plainclothes, have set up a multi-layer security system to avoid any untoward incident.
Mobile courts of Gazipur district administration fined shop and restaurant owners Tk 64,000 and filed nine cases against them for selling adulterated food in unhygienic atmosphere.
The first phase was participated by devotees from 32 districts of the country along with around 25,000 foreigners from 89 countries including Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia and Palestine.
Tablig Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation, also called the World Muslims' Congregation. The first Ijtema was held in 1946 at Kakrail mosque near Ramna Park in the capital.
In 1966, the venue was shifted to Tongi due to an increased number of devotees.
The meet includes delivery of sermons on fundamental matters of Tablig, prayers for spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith.