The second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second largest Muslim congregation after Hajj, ended with Akheri Munajat at 10:10am on Sunday.
Noted Islamic scholar Maulana Jubayerul Hassan from Delhi conducted the prayers which began at 9:55am.
Hundreds of thousands devotees from home and abroad gathered at Biswa Ijtema ground on the bank of Turag river in Tongi, Gazipur to attend the Akheri Munajat (final prayers).
The third day's programme started with the delivery of sermons, prayer for exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith.
Devotees braving the cold wave, traffic congestion, shortage of accommodation and mismanagements at the venue gathered at the Ijtema ground to attend the prayer, the biggest attraction of the congregation.
The traffic control department of Gazipur has earlier decided to keep vehicular movement suspended in the Tongi area for seven hours starting 5am today for the final prayer.
Shakhawat Hossain, assistant police super of Gazipur traffic, told the Dhaka Tribune that only special buses carrying the devotees would ply between Bhogra bypass and Tongi. Movement of all other vehicles would be restricted in the area until the end of the final prayer.
Police, Rapid Action Battalion and members of intelligence agencies in uniform and plainclothes have set up a multi-layered security system to avoid any untoward incident during the Ijtema, which is the second largest congregation of Muslims after the Hajj.
This is the fourth year that the Ijtema is being held in two phases on the banks of Turag, around 20km from the capital, to enable smooth management and security checks.
The first phase of the Ijtema was held from January 24 to 26.
In the second phase, devotees joined the Ijtema from 33 districts of the country, especially from the southern region.
The first phase was participated by devotees from 32 districts of the country along with around 25,000 foreigners from 120 countries, including Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Indonesia and Palestine.
Tabligh Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation. The Ijtema features delivery of sermons on fundamental matters of Tabligh, prayers for spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah, and recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith.
