Dhaka: The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema, the second Muslim congregation after the holy Hajj, will begin on 13 January at the bank of the Turag River of Tongi in Gazipur.

All the preparation ahead of the Biswa Ijtema is going on full swing as the Biswa Tablig Jammat is organizing 52nd congregation.

‘About 70 per cent development works of the Ijtema field have been completed till Thursday evening,’ said Mawlana Mohammad Gias Uddin, a spokesman of the Ijtema preparation committee. ‘We hope that cent per cent works including power, gas, water, toilets, bathrooms and loudspeaker installation in the Ijtema ground would be completed within next week,’ he said.

The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema will begin on January 13 and it will conclude on 15 January through the ‘Akheri Munajat’.

Then the second phase of the Biswa Ijtema will begin from 20 January after four day interval and it will conclude on 22 January.

Muslim devotees from Gazipur, Manikganj, Mymensingh, Tangail, Munshigonj, Gopalganj, Kishoreganj, Rangpur, Syedpur, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Dinajpur, Joypurhat, Lalmonirhat, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari, Chandpur, B-Baria, Noakhali, Hobiganj, Moulvibazar, Barisal, Naogaon, Pabna, Kustia, Chapainawabganj, Meherpur, Satkhira, Jessore and Bagerhat will participate at the first phase of the Ijtema.

Meanwhile, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) M Rafiqul Islam Talukder told BSS that a total of 228 buses would ply on different routes for carrying the Ijtema devotees.

In addition to this, BRTC special bus services also will be plied from 11 January to 24 January, he said.

Besides, two control rooms to be installed at BRTC’s head office at Joar Sahara Bus Depot and anyone can correspond with control room through calling the number of 9564361 and 8900655, said the BRTC official.

The Biswa Ijtema has been taking place in Bangladesh since 1967.

The Biswa Ijtema split in two phases from 2011 for the convenience of the Muslims devotees.