Gazipur: The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema is continuing on Saturday n Tongi area on the outskirts of the Dhaka.

Mawlana Jamshed Ali of India delivered sermons after Fazr prayers while Maulana Abdul Matin of Bangladesh translated those into Bengali.

The three‐day Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the hajj, began on the bank of the River Turag after Fazr prayers on Friday.

Thousands of devotees, both from home and abroad, have gathered at the congregation venue and are taking part in the prayers and discussions.

Many of them offered the prayers on roads and footpaths failing to manage places in the Ijtema venue, creating a long tailback on Dhaka‐Mymensingh highway.

The first phase of Ijtema will end Sunday with Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers).

Some 6,887 overseas devotees have reached the Ijtema venue from several countries, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Egypt, Oman, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iran, Japan, Canada, Cambodia, Mozambique, Russia, the USA, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Kenya and New Zealand.

The district administration of Gazipur set up around 56 free medical camps in and around the Ijtema venue along with beds and almost all first aid and other treatment facilities with doctors doing round‐the‐clock duty at each centre.

Besides, special measures were taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the three‐day Ijtema.

The 2nd phase of the Ijtema is scheduled to begin on 20 January at the same venue and end on 22 January.

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