The first phase of the 58th edition of the Bishwa Ijtema, on the banks of the Turag River in Gazipur’s Tongi, started early on Friday with the participation of tens of thousands of Muslims from home and abroad.
The Bishwa Ijtema is set to host the largest congregational Jummah prayer in the country which will be led by Maulana Zubair.
The first phase commenced with a general sermon, delivered in Urdu by Maulana Ziaul Haq of Pakistan after the Fajr prayer. His sermon was translated into Bengali by Maulana Nurur Rahman of Bangladesh.
According to this Tablighi Jamaat faction's media coordinator, Habibullah Raihan, approximately 2,150 foreign participants from 72 countries arrived for the first phase of the Ijtema.
Organizers anticipate that more international attendees will join in the coming days.
In preparation for the grand Jummah prayer, people from Dhaka, Gazipur and surrounding districts have begun making their way to the Ijtema ground.
Following the Jummah prayer, Sheikh Umar Khatib from Jordan will deliver a sermon.
In the afternoon (post-Asr), Maulana Zubair will address the congregation, while Maulana Ahmed Laat of India will deliver a sermon after the Maghrib prayer.
Habeeb Iskandar, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Tongi West police station, said comprehensive security measures have been implemented across the Ijtema grounds.
Control rooms and watchtowers have been set up by the police and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), with continuous surveillance via CCTV cameras.
Law enforcement personnel in plain clothes have been deployed throughout the congregation.
Additionally, approximately 10,000 volunteers are assisting with crowd management and safety measures.
The first phase of the Ijtema is being organized by the Shura-e-Nezami faction (followers of Maulana Zubair).
This phase is divided into two segments: the first segment, comprising participants from 41 districts, will conclude on February 2, while the second segment, including people from 23 districts, will conclude on February 5.
Subsequently, the faction led by Maulana Saad is scheduled to hold a separate three-day Ijtema starting on February 14.
