Special Correspondent :
The three-day long first phase Bishwa Ijtema ends today through Akheri munajat (final prayers).
The Ijtema venue is already crowded with followers of the Tabligh Jamaat as the 160-acre ground is almost filled to capacity, the crowds have spilled over to the roads outside the venue.
Commencing on Friday after Fazr prayers, the event kicked off with general sermons (A’am Bayan) by the esteemed Maulana Ahmad Buttullah from Pakistan amid high security.
The grounds of the Ijtema are witnessing the influx of several hundred thousand Muslim worshippers from around the world.
The first phase Bishwa Ijtema begins on Friday after Fazr prayers through A’am Bayan (primary sermon) on the bank of the Turag River in Tongi, on the outskirts of the city, amid high security.
At least 20 lakhs of muslim devotees from home and abroad gathered at the Bishwa Ijtema ground to get blessings from the Almighty Allah.
Akheri munajat is likely to start at 9:00-9:30am on Sunday, Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mahbub Alam told reporters on Saturday.
Meanwhile, three more devotees died at the Ijtema venue in Tongi, Gazipur on Friday night, taking the death toll to 10.
The deceased were identified as Nousher Ali, 65, son of Shamser Ali of Sherpur district, A Kader, 55, son of Belayet Hossain of Bhola district and Swadhin, son of Hossain Ahmed of Netrakona district.
So far, 10 people including a policeman died till Saturday morning during the first phase of Ijtema.
Earlier, seven people died on the Ijtema ground. Of them three died on way to the Ijtema venue.
The deceased were identified as Abdus Sattar, 70, son of Abul Hossain, Ekhlas Mia, 68, son of Abdus Sobhan of Netrakona, Shah Alam, 60, son of Najir Ahmed of Bhola, Matiur Rahman, 60, of Jamalpur district, Yunus Mia, 60, of Brahmanbaria district, Zaman Mia, 40, of Chapainawabganj, and Hasanuzzaman, 30, sub-inspector.
Habibullah Raihan, coordinator of Bishwa Ijtema media cell and Jahangir Alam, supervisor of Tongi Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital confirmed the deaths.
The first phase of 57th Bishwa Ijtema, one of the largest global Muslim gatherings, entered its second day on Saturday in Tongi with continued spiritual activities, including the recitation of Allah’s divine names and sermons.
Saturday’s dawn prayers were followed by a sermon from Maulana Abdur Rahman of India, which Maulana Abdul Matin translated into Bangla. The day is scheduled to continue with teachings from Maulana Zahirul Hasan and Maulana Ibrahim Deula post-Asr and Maghrib prayers, respectively.
Devotees are steadily arriving at the site by various means of transport, eager to participate in the ongoing religious observance.
The culmination of the Ijtema’s first phase will be marked by the Akheri Munajat on Sunday.
To address accommodation demands, the Ijtema has been bifurcated into two phases since 2012. The subsequent gathering will take place on February 9 at the same location.
A collective marriage ceremony is also set to take place in the afternoon following Asr prayers.
For security, approximately 15,000 law enforcement officials are on duty at the Ijtema grounds and the surrounding vicinity, supplemented by undercover police and intelligence personnel.
The Rapid Action Battalion is also present, with watchtowers erected to oversee and ensure the safety of the congregation.
The Tabligh Jamaat has been hosting the Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi since 1967 and introduced the phase system in 2011 to better manage the growing number of participants.
