Biswa Ijtema begins today: 3m including foreign devotees expected to attend

The second largest Muslim congregation after the Hajj the 44th Biswa Ijtema beginning today on the bank of River Turag at Tongi near the capital. Ijtema sources said more than three million Muslims, including nearly 10,000 foreign devotees with larger chunks from China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA and Kuwait are set to join the Ijtema. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has converged an elaborate message regarding the holy Ijtema. Special arrangements have been made for accommodation of foreign pilgrims in the northwest corner of the Ijtema ground. To accommodate the ever-increasing number of devotees, the prayer ground has also been expanded to the western direction by filling earth in the riverbed. Members of Armed forces, for the convenience of the devotees, have also set up seven bailey bridges across the river. The home ministry ordered helicopter patrols and close circuit television monitoring as part of anti-terrorist vigil ahead of the’; Bishwa Ijtema”, Meet will take place today at the Ijtema ground, a five-square kilometre area on the bank of Turag River at Tongi. Bangladesh has been hosting the congregation organised by New Delhi-based Tablig Jamaat since early 1960. Security officials said, they have designed a three-tier security system including helicopter and deployed 7,500 law enforcers including the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) as organisers expecting more than two million Muslims this year from across the country and world to join the meet. Observation towers have already been erected to keep vigilance on the entire Ijtema by members of the RAB and foolproof security billed as one of the biggest gatherings of the Muslims in the world. Dhaka Metropolitan Police in cooperation with Gazipur district police has taken special measures to streamline traffic movement in and around Tongi and Ashulia to facilitate the transportation of devotees. In a message the Prime Minister said Biswa Ijtema – a mammoth annual religious congregation – has become a part of Bangladesh’s national tradition and is a glorious event. “We feel proud and happy for the faith of the Muslim Ummah in us in arranging this grand and dignified congregation. I think Biswa Ijtema has been significantly contributing to the spread of the essence of Islam such as universal peace, fraternity, honesty, generosity,” she said. Sheikh Hasina hoped that the grand gathering would continue to strengthen the bond of unity, solidarity and brotherhood of the people of all walks of life and the Muslim Ummah. “The identity of real simplicity, hospitality, and endurance of the people of Bangladesh, grown up with its non-communal tradition, will be further flourished before the world community,” Hasina hoped. The PM prayed to Almighty Allah for the temporal peace, happiness and welfare and eternal salvation of the countrymen as well as uplift and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah. She wished overall success of the Biswa Ijtema, billed as second-largest Islamic assembly after Hajj. The State Minister of energy affairs Shamsul Alam Tuku told yesterday at the ministry that they had already taken all initiative to supply the electricity to the Ijtema areas. Earlier, State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj and State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Mohammad Shahjahan Miah visited the venue to see for themselves the preparations for the Ijtema. Source: the New Nation