Nasir Uddin Bulbul::Report
The 50th Biswa Ijtema concluded today with “Akheri Munajat” (concluding prayer) in the second phase on the banks of the river Turag in Tongi.
Lakhs of Muslims from home and abroad participated in the Akheri Munajat at 11 am in the second largest congregation of the Muslims after Hajj.
Indian Islamic scholar Mawlana Saad conducted the Akheri Munajat that continued from 11:24am to 11:55am at Tongi Ijtema ground.
Devotees sought forgiveness from the Almighty Allah and divine blessings for Muslim Ummah in the concluding prayer of the 50th congregation of Muslims amid huge sufferings due to chilling weather and drizzling.
Besides, 4,574 foreign devotes from 88 countries also joined the prayers on the bank of Turag River.
Besides, hundreds of people participated in the munajat at Eidgah Maidan at Chandana intersection on Gazipur Sadar, 12 kilometers away from Ijtema ground, over mobile phone and walky-talky of police.
However, the second largest Muslim congregation after the holy Hajj began on early Friday with religious sermons delivered by Pakistani Islamic scholar Maulana Ismail Hossain Godrar after the Fajr prayers.
The devotees from the 33 districts along with hundreds of foreign devotees joined the second phase which began on Friday through delivering Amboyan amidst ongoing blockade of the BNP-led alliance.
The districts are Narayanganj, Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, Manikganj, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Tangail, Jamalpur, Barisal, Netrakona, Comilla, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Mymensingh, Laxmipur, Brahmanbaria, Kurigram, Bogra, Panchagarh, Chapainawabganj, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Naogaon, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Satkhira, Kushtia, Magura, Sunamganj, Khulna and Moulvibazar, said organizers.
The religious event includes delivering boyans (sermons) on the fundamental issues of Tabligh, prayer for the spiritual adoration, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah. All traffic movement remained suspended
on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway,
Tongi-Kaliganj road till noon. Besides, due to traffic movement halt, authorities of factories, located in Tongi and adjacent areas, declared shut their production for Sunday. Some 100 couples were married in a dowry-free mass wedding on Saturday, after Asr prayers during the second phase of Ijtema while 121 couples got married in the first phase with the consent of the bride and groom and their guardians.
A total of 17 devotees died in the two phases of the congregation in 2015. Of them, nine died in first phase while eight in second and final phase.
15 devotees of them died of cold related illness and cardiac arrest. Three others were crushed under train on their way to Ijtema ground.
A policeman died of cardiac arrest while performing duty in the second phase of Ijtema in Tongi, on outskirts of Dhaka, on Saturday night.Waj Uddin Mian, 65, (constable no-171) breathed his last at 11:20pm at Tongi hospital of the district.Tongi Thana Officer-In-Charge (OC) Ismail Hossian told The Bangladesh Today that Waj Uddin was on duty with others on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway in Mirerbazar area at the night. Suddenly, he fell sick around 10:30pm. Fellow lawpersons rushed him to the hospital where on-duty doctor declared him dead, the OC added.
Three Ijtema devotees were crushed under the wheels of a train in Kuril rail crossing in the city on Sunday morning.The accident took place at 8:00am on their way to Tongi to join Akheri Munajat in the second phage of Biswa Ijtema.The identity of the dead persons could not be known immediately.Dhaka Railway Thana officer-in-charge Abdul Mojid confirmed the matter toThe Bangladesh Today.