Bishwa Ijtema begins

The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims, began Friday morning on the bank of Turag River at Tongi, on the outskirts of the city, amid tight security.

The proceedings began after the Fazr prayers on Friday with sermons by Pakistani cleric Moulana Obaidullah Khurshid. The first phase will be capped with an Akheri Munajat or final prayer on Sunday.

The followers of Moulana Zubair and Moulana Mohammed Saad Kandhalvi, a Delhi-based member of the Tabligh Jamaat Supreme Council, are set to attend both legs.The second phase of the Ijtema will begin on January 17 at the same venue and it is scheduled to end with Akheri Munajat on January 19.

Thousands of devotees from home and abroad started thronging on the bank of the Turag River to take part in the religious event to seek divine blessings of the Almighty Allah. People have been streaming into Tongi despite light rains and the cold amid heavy traffic congestion on the highway. The Ijtema premises were packed by the afternoon.

Additional police have been deployed in and around the Ijtema venue to ensure security of the devotees. The venue has been brought under CCTV surveillance.There are more than 400 closed-circuit cameras installed in the Ijtema premises along with metal detectors and archways.

A central control room and eight sub-control rooms have been established to monitor the overall situation.Bangladesh Railway and BRTC introduced special train and bus services for the event.