Ijtema set to be held on Feb 15-17
The second largest religious congregation of Muslims will be held in only one phase this year
This year’s Bishwa Ijtema will be held in a single phase from February 15 to 17 at Tongi.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah made the announcement on Thursday, following a meeting held at the Religious Affairs Ministry with delegations of the two Tabligh Jamaat factions.
Maulana Zubair, Maulana Omar Faruk, Syed Wasiful Islam and Sahabuddin Nasim were present at the meeting.
The junior minister said: “The two factions have been at loggerheads for long. However, representatives from both factions sat in a meeting on Wednesday. Now, there is no dispute between them.”
In the last few years, the Ijtema was organized in two phases, dividing attendees from northern and southern districts, for the sake of maintaining discipline due to the sheer numbers.
Earlier, the factions had called their own Ijtemas on different dates in January.
Also Read – Tabligh Jamaat resolves internal dispute, Ijtema to be held in February
Following a meeting with the two factions of Tabligh Jamaat on Wednesday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced that the feud between them has been resolved, and they have reached a consensus to jointly hold the Ijtema in February.
The home minister added that Maulana Saad Kandhalvi of India will not join the gathering this year.
The first phase of Bishwa Ijtem was scheduled to be held from January 11 to 13, while the second one from January 18 to 20, but they were postponed due to the general election on December 30.
The decision to postpone the congregation was taken at a meeting between Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and leaders of the two factions of Tabligh Jamaat at the secretariat on November 13.
Ijtema is the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, held annually at Tongi near the capital.
In December 2018, one person was killed and more than 200 others were injured in a series of clashes between supporters of Indian preacher Maulana Saad Kandhalvi and Maulana Zubair’s followers.
After the incident, the government issued five directives on September 18, 2018 to resolve the internal disputes of the Tabligh Jamaat and carry out their activities in an organized manner.
