The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema at Tongi near the capital ended yesterday with the offering of Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) joined by lakhs of Muslims from home and abroad.
The devotees sought forgiveness and blessings from Allah for Muslims around the world.
Eminent Islamic scholar Moulana Jobayerul Hasan from Delhi led the 20-minute munajat that began at 12:33pm.
The three-day Ijtema held on the bank of the Turag river is considered one of the biggest Islamic congregations in the world.
Second phase of the Ijtema, also for three days, begins on January 28 at the same venue.
The Biswa Tablig Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation since 1967.
The gathering of devotees of all ages spilled over to the roads and areas around the Ijtema venue as Akheri Munajat started. Pin-drop silence prevailed at the virtual sea of humanity with the prayers offered using loud speakers.
People who could not reach the venue joined the prayers over the cell phone.
Many devotees had to walk around 20km to reach near the venue while many others stopped on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
A number of devotees said they could not join the munajat as loud speakers were installed only at Ijtema venue while the crowd spread up to around 10 km from it.
And thousands of people were seen on the rooftops of buildings, on open fields and roads nearby.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, ministers and political leaders joined the concluding prayers.
Hasina took part in the prayers from the rooftop of Polwel Convention Centre at Abdullahpur in Uttara.
Khaleda was at Atlas Bangladesh Ltd building.
Thousands of people from the capital and nearby districts started moving towards Tongi by buses, trucks and trains, and many more walked for miles to join the concluding prayers. Several square km areas around the Ijtema venue were crowded by 1:00am yesterday.
Devotees from 33 districts of the country attended the Ijtema. The districts include Gazipur, Narsingdi, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Sherpur, Faridpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Chittagong, Khagrachhari, Rangamati, Bandarban, Chandpur, Sylhet, Habiganj, Rajshahi, Natore, Sirajganj, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jessore, Narail, and Kushtia.
A three-tier security system was in place to ensure peaceful holding of the congregation.
About 1,000 members of intelligence agencies were deployed at and around the venue. Law enforcers also kept a close watch on the venue using closed circuit TVs.
Movement of vehicles on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Tongi-Kaliganj road remained suspended for hours for the concluding prayers.
Shahinur Reba, 35, and her sister Rabeun Begum, 15, reached Dhaka from Joypurhat at 7:00am yesterday and then started walking towards the Ijtema venue from Mohakhali as the authorities stopped movement of buses beyond that point.
“We are ready to walk as we want to join Akheri Munajat anyhow,” said Shahinur on her way.
Four other women — Fatema, Inu Begum, Lutfa Begum and Sufia Begum — came to the Ijtema from Keraniganj walking over 10 km.
According to BSS, four devotees including a Malaysian national died of heart attack at the Ijtema venue yesterday.
Abu Bakar N Mansur, 62, a resident of Penang City of Malaysia, died in the mornig, officials said.
The three others are Farid Uddin, 60, from Halishahar in Chittagong, Musa Miah, 70, of Gowainghat in Sylhet and Azizullah, 66, from Lalmohon upazila in Bhola.
