Gazipur: Another Muslim devotee died while attending the first phase of 52nd Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the holy hajj, began at the bank of the River Turag of Tongi in Gazipur amid stringent security measures on Friday morning.

Earlier five devotees died from Thursday morning till the early hours of Friday due to old age complications and illness.

Bablu Miah, around 60, a resident of Machhimpur area at Dagonbhuiyan upazila of Feni, was the last devotee died on Friday morning.

Tongi Govt Medical Hospital duty officer Moklesur Rahman said Bablu Miah died of heart failure when he was brought to the hospital from the ijtema ground.

Earlier five devotees died as the first phase of 52nd Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the holy hajj, began at the bank of the River Turag of Tongi in Gazipur amid stringent security measures on Friday morning.

The devotees died

The deceased are Janu Fakir of Tangail, Shaheb Ali from Manikganj, Fazlul Haque, a resident of the village of Marua in Mymensingh’s Nandail, Hossain Ali from Cox’s Bazar, and Satkhira’s Abdus Sattar.

The formalities of Ijtema started with the speech of Mawlana Obaidul Korshed after the Fazar prayer.

However, the namaj‐e‐janaza of Janu Fakir and Saheb Ali was held after Fajr prayers at the Ijtema venue.

The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema 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.

Necessary security measures have taken with deployment law enforcers Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police and other law enforcement agencies in large numbers to ensure smooth holding of the Biswa Ijtema.

Several control rooms, nine watch towers and a number of close circuit camera televisions have been set up in and around of the Ijtema ground alongside with deployment of bomb disposal and dog squads, incidents to make the security full proof.

A number of patrol teams of the police and RAB have been asked to remain alert to avert any untoward incident. Two speed boats of the RAB are set to patrol the Turag River while helicopters will over the Ijtema ground from the sky to make the security full-proof.

Patrol teams of both in land and river will stop illegal entrance into the Khitta (area) allocated for the foreigners.

Intermediate patrol team have been entrusted with stopping any sorts of petty crimes such as snatching, pick-pocketing, and the activities of dope party.

A striking force has been kept ready to act immediately in case of any emergency.

Traffic/car parking management

Police is set to take special measures ahead of the two phases Biswa Ijtema on the bank of river Turag at Tongi scheduled to be held from 13-15 January and 20-22 January to ease the traffic snarl.

The measure will come into effect at about 10:00pm on 14 January and 10:00pm on 21 January, according to an official release of police headquarters.

Vehicles will not be allowed to ply on Ashulia Bridge to Abdullahpur via Progoti Saroni and on the Tongi Bridge via Gazipur intersection during the period, the release said, adding that the vehicles carrying passengers and crews of aircrafts, fire fighting vehicles and ambulance will be out the restriction.

The vehicles coming from Ghorashan via Kaliganj-Pubail can move till East Markul (K-2) of Tongi Railway Station while Dhaka bound vehicles can use Kanchpur-Jatrabari road coming from Dhaka-Sylhet highway via Ghorashal.

Ijtema goers can use Bailey-Bridge or Kamarpara Bridge instead of Tongi Bridge to reach the ijtema venue on feet.

Police also fixed some places for parking of vehicles. Gausul Azam Avenue has been fixed for parking of vehicles of Dhaka Metropolitan City and Chittagong division while Sonargaon intersection to Diabari Khalpar for Dhaka division, Shahmakhdum Avenue at sector 12 for Sylhet division, open places of sector 16 and 18 of Uttara for Khulna division, Kamarpara truck stand and sector 10 for Rangpur division, Protshya Housing for Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions, Dhaur Bridge adjacent areas and BIWTA landing station for Barisal division and Shahjalal Avenue, Nikunja-1 and Nikunja-2 areas for Dhaka Metropolitan.

Tongi Kaderia Textile Mill, Meghna Textile Mill, Shafiuddin Sarker Academy, TIC field, Badre Alam College, truck stand of Joydebpur intersection, Chandana High School field Navy cigarette factory at Tongi have been fixed for parking of vehicles of Gazipur while fields of Ashulia College and Ashulia High School for Dhaka.