The second and last phase of Biswa Ijtema began yesterday with thousands of Muslim devotees in attendance amid tight security.
The event began with a sermon by Maulana Ismail Hossain from India after Fajr prayers; the sermon was later translated by Maulana Nurur Rahman of Bangladesh for the local attendees.
Despite the cold and fog, and braving the ongoing blockade imposed by the BNP-led 20-party alliance, people from 32 districts travelled to the bank of Turag River at Tongi to attend the second largest congregation of Muslims in the world.
Thousands took part in yesterday’s Jumma prayers, making it the country’s largest Jumma. Devotees are still coming in to join the Akheri Munajat tomorrow, with which the Ijtema will end for this year. Security has been strengthened to ensure the safety of the Ijtema attendees a with five-layered surveillance system.
Harun-or-Rashid, superintendent of police in Gazipur, said: “We have made the security system stronger than before. Additional law enforcement personnel from different districts have been brought in and deployed here so that the devotees can make their journeys to and from the Ijtema ground safely.”
Besides the local participants, around 5,000 people from other countries, including India, Sudan, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia, have come to attend the Ijtema, according to the organisers
Two more devotees dead
Two more Ijtema devotees died yesterday due to health complications. Ijtema officials told the Dhaka Tribune that the deceased were Billal Hossain, 30, from Patuakhali and Abdur Rahman, 65, from Bogra.
With these new deaths, the number of deaths in the second phase stands at four, in addition with the 10 deaths during the first phase.
In case of emergencies
Organisers have provided the contact numbers to used in case of an emergency during the Ijtema. They are: Gazipur district administration control room – 9813401, 9813402; police control room – 9813403; media centre – 9813408, RAB control room – 9815112, 9815113, 9815114; health control room – 9813406, 9817514, 9817515, 9817516; information authority – 9816370-74; fire service – 9816369; power control room – 9816379.