Dhaka, 22 Jan – The second phase of the 52nd Biswa Ijtema concluded on Sunday with the Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) seeking spiritual well-being and welfare of the Muslim community.
The Munajat started at 11.12 am and continued till 11:45 am, said superintendent of Gazipur police Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid.
Mawlana Mohammad Saad of Delhi conducted the Akheri Munajat.Bishwa Ijtema is the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the Hajj.
Bangladesh Railway will operate 14 special trains in different routes so that people can go to the Ijtema venue and return to their respective areas on the last day.
SP Harun-or-Rashid said some 6,000 police personnel have been engaged to ward off any possible untoward incident at the Ijtema ground.
Besides, movement of vehicles, except ambulances and police vans, from Joydebpur intersection of Gazipur on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway to Airport, from Mirerbazar of Gazipur Sadar on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway to Tongi, and from Abdullahpur of Abdullahpur-Ashulia road to bypass road will remain restricted on Sunday.
The second phase of the three-day congregation began on the bank of the Turag River after Fazr prayers on Friday.
Thousands of Muslim devotees, both from home and abroad, have gathered at the congregation venue and are taking part in prayers and discussions.
Some 921 foreign devotees from 91 countries, including South Africa, Russia, the USA, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, France, Australia, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, China and Mali reached the Ijtema ground on the first day of the second phase Ijtema.
The first phase of Biswa Ijtema was held at the same venue on January 13-15. Devotees from 16 districts attended the 1st phase of Ijtema.
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. – UNB
