The first phase of a three-day Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after hajj, begins on Friday on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi in Gazipur on the outskirts of the capital amid tight security arrangements.  

Braving cold and fogs, lakhs of devotees from home and abroad have already thronged the venue to join the first Ijtema while thousands others will be coming until Friday morning to seek divine blessings of the Almighty Allah, reports UNB.

The congregation, also called the World Muslims’ Congregation, will start formally with ‘Ambayan’ (general sermons) after Fajr prayers Friday, and it will end with Akheri Munajat or the final supplication on Sunday.

Besides, thousands of Muslims are expected to attend the Jum’a prayers at the Ijtema venue and its adjacent areas on Friday.

After a four-day break, the second phase of the Ijtema will begin on January 20 at the same venue, a plot of land of 160 acres (0.65 square km), and end on January 22 with the final supplication.

Tablig Jamaat has been organising the Ijtema at the venue since 1967. But, Ijtema has been held in two phases since 2011 to ease the accommodation problem.

Preparations have almost been completed for smooth holding the Ijtema.

Bangladesh Army has set up several bridges with pontoons connecting the two banks of the Turag for the movement of the devotees.

Besides, law enforcement agencies said they are set to enforce a five-tire security vigil in and around the Ijtema venue.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque and Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Benazir Ahmed visited the Ijtema venue on Thursday afternoon to check the security arrangements there.

Earlier in the day, Gazipur Police Superintendent Harun-or-Rashid said some 6,000 police members remain engaged to ward off any possible untoward incident in the Ijtema ground.

Besides, a good number of closed circuit television cameras (CCTVs), nine watch towers, police control boxes and check posts have been already set up in and around of the Ijtema venue with the deployment of bomb disposal and dog squads to tighten further security system.

Rab members will patrol over the ground and the adjacent areas with helicopters to monitor security measures.  

Moulana Giasuddin, a senior member of the Ijtema organising committee, said they have completed all the necessary preparations to begin the Ijtema with devotees from home and abroad.

He said the Ijtema ground is not enough to accommodate the lakhs of devotees intending to join the annual congregation. ‘We’ve appealed to the government for the extension of the Ijtema ground.’

Giasuddin said devotees from 32 districts, 16 in each phase, will join the two phases of Ijtema this year.

He said the devotees of 32 other districts excluded this year will take part in next year’s Ijtema. 

Several health centres have been set up at different parts of the venue along with beds and almost all first aid and other treatment facilities with doctors doing round-the-clock duties at each centre.

Religious Affairs Minister Principal Matior Rahman inaugurated free medical camp in the Ijtema venue.

Special measures have also been taken to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity during the three-day Ijtema.

Bangladesh Railway is operating special trains while Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is plying huge buses to carry the devotees of the Biswa Ijtema.

 President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia issued separate messages on the eve of the Ijtema. They have greeted all the devotees and wished success of the event.

Meanwhile, a devotee Fazlul Hoque, 57, hailing from Mymensingh district, died at the Ijtema venue Thursday morning due to old age complications.