Biswa Ijtema begins tomorrow

Biswa Ijtema begins tomorrow

Prothom Alo English Desk | Feb 14, 2019

Bishwa Ijtema.Reuters File PhotoBiswa Ijtema, one of the largest Muslim congregations in the world, will start on the bank of the Turag river in Tongi on Friday, according to UNB.

The Ijtema to be held for four days this time will begin with “a’m bayan” (general sermons) after Fazr prayers.

On the first two days, followers of Maulana Jubair Hassan will participate in the Biswa Ijtema on Friday and Saturday and they will leave the ground after Akheri Munajat on Saturday afternoon.

Later, the followers of Maulana Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi will take part in the Biswa Ijtema on Sunday and Monday and conduct their Akheri Munajat on the last day.

Thousands of devotes are expected to offer Juma prayers on the first day of the Ijtema on Friday.

Devotees in numbers from home and abroad started thronging the bank of the Turag river to take part in the religious event to seek divine blessings of the almighty Allah.

Meanwhile, preparations for smoothly holding the Muslim congregation have already completed.

An eight-layer security measure has been taken for the event with the deployment of huge members of different law enforcement agencies in and around the Ijtema ground. The venue has been brought under CCTV surveillance.

There will be special train and bus services to ease the communication of the devotees.

Gazipur metropolitan police commissioner YM Belalur Rahman on Thursday said the Ijtema ground is under CCTV surveillance and watchtowers have been set up to ensure security.

Members of law enforcement agencies are performing their duties while intelligence surveillance has been beefed up. “Though there’s no specific threat, we’ve taken right security measures considering all aspects,” he said.

Check-posts have been set up in lanes, intersections and all the entries of the ground, said the GMP commissioner.

Besides, free medical camps have been set up near the Ijtema ground to provide free health care services and medicines among the devotees.

State minister for religious affairs Md Sheikh Abdullah and state minister for youth and sports Zahid Ahsan Russel inaugurated the camps today.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtem was scheduled to be held from 11 to 13 January to while the second one from 18 to 20 January last, but those were postponed due to the 30-December national election.

Later, it was decided that the Biswa Ijteam would be held once instead of two phases this year.

Tabligh Jamaat has been organising the Ijtema at the venue since 1967.

The Ijtema was held in two phases from 2011 to 2017 to ease the accommodation and transportation problem.