Gazipur: The second phase of the 52nd Biswa Ijtema end on Sunday with the seeking peace and blessings for mankind by offering the Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers).

The Munajat started at about 11:00am and continued till 11:44am.

Mawlana Mohammad Saad of Delhi conducted the prayer.

Bishwa Ijtema is the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the Hajj.

Bangladesh Railway operated 14 special trains in different routes so that people can go to the Ijtema venue and return to their respective areas on the last day.

SP Harun-or-Rashid said some 6,000 police personnel was engaged to ward off any possible untoward incident at the Ijtema ground.

Besides, movement of vehicles, except ambulances and police vans, from Joydebpur intersection of Gazipur on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway to Airport, from Mirerbazar of Gazipur Sadar on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway to Tongi, and from Abdullahpur of Abdullahpur-Ashulia road to bypass road will remain restricted on Sunday.

The second phase of the three-day congregation began on the bank of the Turag River after Fazr prayers on Friday.

Meanwhile, two devotees died so far in the second phase of this year’s Ijtema. Of them, Joynal Abedin, in his sixties, died of respiratory ailments last night.

Earlier on 17 January, another man named Shafikul Islam died after falling from train at Dhirasrom area in Gazipur while coming to attend the Ijtema.

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

Some 921 foreign devotees from 91 countries, including South Africa, Russia, the USA, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, France, Australia, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, China and Mali reached the Ijtema ground on the first day of the second phase Ijtema.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema was held at the same venue on 13-15 January. Devotees from 16 districts attended the first phase of Ijtema.

Ijtema is being held in two phases from 2012 to ease accommodation problem.