This year’s Biswa Ijtema has ended with the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) seeking world peace. Hundreds of thousands of devotees reached Tongi on the banks of Turag River to attend the final prayers.
It is the second biggest Muslim congregation in the world after the Hajj and is held in winter every year. Indian cleric Maulana Md Zobairul Hassan conducted the 17-minute final prayers on Sunday.The devotees were seen walking down to the Ijtema ground. As the ground was full by 8am, thousands were seen gathering in alleys and roads, while many got on boats in the Turag River to join the Akheri Munajat.
Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, leading to Tongi, had been stopped since Saturday midnight. Holiday has been declared in educational institutions, offices and factories around the venue.
The first phase of Biswa Ijtema had ended on Jan 26 with the final prayer for world peace. People started heading back home after the prayers, causing traffic snarls on roads and highways out of Tongi.
Date set for next Ijtema Next year’s Biswa Ijtema will be held from Jan 9 to Jan 11, 2015. Its second phase will commence after a four-day break — from Jan 16.
It will conclude with the Akheri Munajat on Jan 18. The dates were finalised last Wednesday. One of the organisers of the event, Md Gias Uddin, said the date had been moved forward to facilitate the Tablig’s preaching work.
Since 2011, the Ijtema has been held in two phases to accommodate the large number of devotees.
The congregation was fist organised at the Kakrail mosque in 1946.
Two years later, it was held at Chittagong’s Haji camp followed by another one at Narayanganj’s Siddhirganj in 1958.
As the number of participants increased, the congregation was eventually moved to the banks of Turag in Gazipur.
Later, 160 acres of land was acquired and developed as a permanent Ijtema ground. – bdnews24.com
