Staff Reporter
The three-day long 45th Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims, concluded yesterday after Akheri Munajat seeking divine blessings of Almighty Allah for continued peace, prosperity of Muslim Ummah and for global peace and prosperity at the banks of the River Turag at Tongi in Gazipur.
Moulana Jubayerul Hassan of India officiated the concluding mass prayers that started around 1:15 pm and lasted 1:30 with the participation of around 2 million devotees raising their hands from all around the venue.
President Prof Dr. Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Opposition leader and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also attended the Akheri Munajat from different locations.
Earlier to participate in the Munajat devotees of the city irrespective of their ages and professions thronged to the venue from early morning on Sunday depending on various modes of transports. The whole venue and its adjacent areas and roads were filled to the brim and had turned into a human sea.
Tablig Jamaat sources said, this year a record number of 10,500 foreign devotees from different Muslim and other countries joined the Ijtema.
Moulana Jamir Uddin delivered special sermon to the Ijtema devotees after Fajr prayers yesterday. Moulana Sayad Ahmad announced schedules for the next year’s programmes of Tablig Jamaat.
To ensure peaceful end of Ijtema the police, RAB, plain clothe police and other security agencies personnel were deployed couple of days before the start of Ijtema.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived at the Ijtema venue at 10:30am and had a full view of the congregation from a podium built at the Bata Sports Club premises, adjacent to the Ijtema venue.
She sought divine blessings for continued peace and prosperity of the people and progress and development of the country. She also prayed for the unity and integrity of the Muslim Ummah.
Earlier, she spent nearly two and a half-hour in deep meditation in a inspiring atmosphere.
Meanwhile Tongi police said thousands of mobile phones among other valuables had been reported stolen despite tight security and detained dozens of pickpockets.
One elderly devotee died of cardiac arrest on the Ijtema premises this year, identified as 70 year-old Mohammad Aziz of Sarishabari in Jamalpur. Parvin Akhtar, 45, died at Kamar Para, adjacent to the Ijtema premises. Their Namaz-e-Janaza took place on the Ijtema grounds.
In another incident one person was died when a trawler carrying 35 Ijtema devotees on board sank in the Turag river at Mirpur in the city yesterday afternoon. The identity of the deceased could not be known immediately.
Eyewitnesses said the trawler went under water at about 2:30 pm when another trawler hit it.
Abdul Baten, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Gazipur told the New Nation that the rescue operation was going on.
A man was killed and 20 others were injured when a bus plunged into a roadside ditch at Kodda in Gazipur yesterday. The dead was identified as Belal,18, hailed from Sirajganj when he was returning home after took part in Akheri Munajat.
Police and eyewitnesses said when a Konabari-bound bus coming from Joydevpur crossing skidded off the road and fell into a ditch killing one person and injured 22 others.
The injured were admitted to different local hospitals and condition of four was stated to be critical.
Amir Hossain Amu and Tofail Ahmed, Engr Khandaker Mosharaf Hossain, Adv Sahara Khatun, Syed Abul Hossain, Tanjim Ahmed Shohel Taj, Motaher Hossain, Whip Shegupta Yasmin Emily MP, Meher Afroz Chumki MP, Iqbalur Rahim MP, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury MP, Zahid Ahsan Russel MP and Mayor of Tongi Pourasava Ajmatullah, Defense Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddiqui and Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad and relatives of the Prime Minister, among others, were accompanied with the Prime Minister at the Munajat.
BNP Chairperson and Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia
along with her family members and party leaders participated in the munajat from Atlas Bangladesh Limited building.
Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Prof MA Mannan, Selima Rahman, Amanullah Aman, Fazlul Huq Milon, Nazimuddin Alam, Shirin Sultana, Rehana Akhter Ranu and Gazipur Sadar Upazila parishad chairman SM Shan Shah Alam, among others, of the party leaders accompanied the BNP Chairperson.
It may be mentioned the Biswa Ijtema formally started in 1946.
Courtesy: nation.ittefaq.com
