Gazipur: Three devotees died of heart attack and old age complications on the first day of first phase of Biswa Ijtema underway in Tongi on the outskirts of the capital on Thursday night and early on Friday.

The namaz-e-janaza, funeral prayer, was held after Fazr prayer.

The Tongi police said the deceased are Joynal Abedin, a resident of Sylhet, Nurul Islam of Kurigram, and Farid Uddin Kabiraj, resident of Natore.

Joynal Abedin, believed to be 55, was died of cardiac arrest at about 1:00am. While Nurul Islam, who was 72 years old, and Farid Uddin, around 73, died of old age complications.

The bodies of the deceased were sent to their own residence after the funeral prayer, said the police.

The first phase of 51st Biswa Ijtema, one of the biggest congregations of Muslims in the globe, begins on Friday on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi, on the outskirt of the capital.

The congregation, also called the World Muslims’ Congregation, will start formally with religious sermons after Fajar prayers today and it will end with Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) on 10 January.