Tongi: The second phase of the 48th Biswa Ijtema, the second largest gathering of the Muslims after the holy Hajj, ended here Sunday with the Akheri Munajat seeking progress, divine, mercy and welfare of the Muslim Ummah from the Almighty Allah.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees thronged the banks of the Turag River at Tongi, about 20 kilometers north of the capital, for participating in the final prayer which turned the 160-acres Ijtema premises along the river banks into a virtual human sea.

Maulana Jubayerul Hasan, khatib of the New Delhi Mosque, started the Akheri Munajat at 12.40 pm and it was continued till 1pm. The organizing committee members of the Ijtema told journalists "due to favorable weather as much as 4-5 lakh devotees participated at the second phase of the Ijtema, adding that scores of Muslims from the rest 36 districts including the capital took part at the ijtema while the premise was divided into 36 khitta, a certain places for a certain districts."

The entire traffic communication from Airport to Earshad Nagar and Gazipur bus stand collapsed due to the Akheri Munajat. Besides, several hundreds of Muslims participated in the final prayer staying from the roofs of different modes of transports like bus, truck, launches and steamers and also from the multi-storied buildings at different places in the country.

The Uttara traffic department also provided two special microbus services for the passengers bound to facilitate the participation at the Akheri Munajat.

Zahid Ahasan Rasel MP of Gazipur-1, former MPs Qazi Muzammel Haq of the Awami League (AL), Alhaz Hasanuddin Sarker of BNP, local political leaders, high officials from different organizations including Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), police, among others, participated at the Akheri Munajat.

Maulana Jubayerul Hasan, Maulana Ahmed Lat and Maulana Miazi Ajmat Ullah of India and Maulana Jamil Hasan and Maulana Shawkat Ali of Pakistan were among those who delivered sermons at the congregation on Saturday describing the significance of ‘Deen-e-Islam’.

They stressed the need for spreading Deen-e-Islam across the world and bringing the devotees into the fold of Tablig Jamaat to attain the objectives.

As of the last three years, Biswa Ijtema is being held in two phases this year with the first phase held on January 11-13 and the second one being held on January 18-20 at the same venue.

The three-day annual Islamic congregation began on Friday with the deliberation of ‘Aam Bayan’ or general sermons after Fajr prayers.

The mammoth congregation includes delivering sermons on the fundamental issues of Tablig, prayers for the spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.

A number of dowry-free marriages were solemnised on the second of the three-day congregation to encourage people to eschew the social menace.

Over 10,000 security personnel from different agencies have been posted at the venue to ensure smooth holding of the Ijtema. Nine observation towers have been set up to watch public movement while closed circuit televisions and video cameras installed at the entrances to the venue.

Plainclothes police (DB police) and members of the Special Branch of Police are also there to ensure that crimes like pick-pocketing and theft do not occur during the three-day religious gathering.

More than 25,000 devotees from over 100 countries, including China, the USA, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Kingdom are taking take part in the 48th Ijtema.

After the Munazat, the scores of people started to return their homes which created heavy traffic congestions on Dhaka-Mymensingh, Ashulia-Mirpur- Beri badh and Tongi-Kaligonj-Ghorashal.

Tablig Jamaat has been organizing the congregation every year.

Islamic scholars from different muslim countries delivered lectures on various aspects of Islam, especially Namaz, Roza, Iman and Akherat.

The first Ijtema was held in 1946 at Kakrail mosque near Ramna Park in the capital and the second one in Chittagong in 1948.

After being held in Pagar of Tongi in 1966, the venue was shifted to the eastern bank of the Turag river.

The Biswa Ijtema has been held on the eastern bank of Turag River since then as space at Pagar was not sufficient.

Ends/AMA/20/01/13