The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest religious congregation of Muslims in the world, ended yesterday in Tongi, on the outskirts of the capital.
Eminent Indian Islamic scholar Moulana Muhammad Sa’ad conducted the 28-minute Akheri Munajat, or the final prayer, which began around 11:05am, of the 51st Bishwa Ijtema in Arabic and Urdu, reported UNB.
The gathering of devotees of all ages spilled over into the roads and areas around the Ijtema venue as the final prayer started.
Thousands of devotees, both male and female, joined the prayer from the rooftops and terraces of nearby houses, roads and open fields.
Religious Affairs Minister Principal Motiur Rahman, Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Youth and Sports Zahid Ahsan Russell, Gazipur City Corporation’s acting mayor M Asadur Rahman Kiron, Gazipur Deputy Commissioner SM Alam and Gazipur Superintendent of Police Harun-or-Rashid joined the prayer as well.
Many devotes were seen taking part in the prayer with family members through videoconferencing using mobile phones.
Seven devotees, including a foreigner, died in separate incidents on the Ijtema ground in the second phase.
The three-day congregation began on the bank of Turag River after Fazr prayers on Friday with delivery of religious sermons.
The first phase of Ijtema, organised by Tabligh Jamaat, was held on January 8-10.
The Ijtema has been held in two phases since 2012 to ease accommodation problem.