Second phase of Biswa Ijtema begins Jan 28
The first phase of Biswa Ijtema, one of the largest congregations of the Muslims, ends today with Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) on the bank of Turag in Tongi.
Eminent Islamic scholar Moulana Jobayerul Hasan of India will lead the concluding prayers starting around 11:00am.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Leader of the Opposition Khaleda Zia, ministers and political leaders are expected to join the prayers.
Hasina might take part in the prayers from the roof of the Bata Shoe Company building at Tongi while Khaleda on the Atlas Bangladesh Ltd building, said Gazi Ruhul Imam, officer-in-charge of Tongi Model Police Station.
Separate platforms have been set up for the high-profile devotees. They will also come under special security coverage.
Devotees at the Ijtema venue will join the prayers with scores of thousands more on the nearby rooftops, open fields and roads.
Islamic scholars from different countries delivered sermons on various aspects of Islam throughout the second day of the three-day first phase of the rituals.
Many devotees crowded the free medical camps in the Ijtema area yesterday. Besides, 27 devotees were undergoing treatment at Tongi General Hospital while some others were shifted to different hospitals in the capital, hospital sources said.
A dowry-free mass wedding programme was held after the Asr prayers at the Ijtema venue. Over a hundred couples got married in presence of their guardians and relatives, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
A three-tier security system is already in place to ensure peaceful holding of the event, said Mahfuzul Haque, superintendent of police in Gazipur.
About one thousand members of intelligence agencies are working in and around the main venue. Law enforcers are also keeping a close eye on the event with the closed circuit cameras (CCTVs), he added.
Movement of vehicles on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Tongi-Kaliganj road will remain suspended for hours for the concluding prayers.
Law enforcers yesterday arrested 50 persons from the area on various charges including theft, pick-pocketing and cheating, said Tongi police.
