Bishwa Ijtema 2012 second phase

 Second Shift of Bishwa Ijtema 2012

The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema

The first phase of the Bishwa Ijtema 2012, the second largest Muslim congregation, the first is that of Hajj, was concluded on January 15 with Akheri Munajat (the final supplication), attended by millions of people. 

The meeting kicked off on Friday morning, 13th January, on the sandy bank of the Turag River on the outskirts of the capital city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Tabligh Jamaat has been organizing the Bishwa Ijtema, also called the World Congregation of Muslims, since 1946.

President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition leader Khaleda Zia, and many other dignitaries have taken part in the Akheri Munajat held on Sunday 15th January at noon.Noted policymaker of the Tabligh Jamaat, Maulana Jubayer Al-Hasan from India, conducted the Akheri Munajat. The Bishwa Ijtema passed off its second day on Saturday with tens of thousands of devotees from home and abroad thronging the bank of the River Turag at Tongi. The first phase of three-day annual Islamic congregation began on Friday with the deliberation of ‘Aam Bayan’ or principal sermons after Fajr (pre-dawn) prayers.

From all parts of the world 

About 17,000 foreign devotees from 80 countries including the Kingdom Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, U.A.E., Qatar, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Cambodia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iran, Japan, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Panama, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad, Russia, U.S.A., Zimbabwe, Belgium, Cameron, China, Fiji, France, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, U.K., Korea, Algeria, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine, Kuwait, Morocco, Somalia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Pakistan, Bahrain, Jordan, India, Pakistan, and Sudan have so far attended the Ijtema (meeting). 

Saturday started with Pakistani religious scholar Mohammad Ehsan's lectures after the Fajr prayers. Bangladeshi scholar Maulana Nurul Haque is set to address the congregation after the Zohr (noon) prayers, followed by Indian scholar Zobayerul Hasan after the Asr (afternoon) prayers and Ahmed Latt after the Maghreb (sunset) prayers. 

Islamic scholars from different Muslim countries, including Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were delivering sermons, which were being instantly interpreted into Bangla, English and other languages. The scholars are delivering sermons on various aspects of Islam, especially Iman (faith) and Amal (religious acts).

Download Bishwa Ijtema Lecture/Bayan/Dars/Speeches

Hundreds of devotees had to remain outdoors due to the lack of indoor space to accommodate the number of attendees. "I am suffering especially due to the cold weather. But it doesn't bother me. I think I would be lucky if I die here," said 70-year-old Kamaluddin Miah, who came from north-eastern district of Sylhet. Many were cooking meals in stoves beside their makeshift tents, while some others took flattened and puffed rice to avoid the hassle of cooking. 

Devotees waited in long queues at different temporary medial camps set up on the Ijtema ground.“I attend this Ijtima for my personal purification and development,” said Mohammad Shakil (45), who came from Pakistan. "Most of them are coming to us with cold-related complaints. We are giving them medical aid. If we find anybody with serious illness, we refer him to Tongi Hospital," said Adam Ali, a medical service provider. Like previous years, about 100 dowry-free marriages were solemnized on the Ijtema, the World Congregation of Muslims. Multi-tier security measures were in place in and around the ground to ensure the security of the devotees. Around 10,000 security personnel from different agencies were posted apart from several thousand volunteers of the Tabligh Jamaat to ensure the security of the devotees. 

Observation towers were set up to watch public movement, while close-circuit television cameras and video cameras were installed at 17 entrances of the Ijtema venue to keep watch on the Ijtema ground. Biswa Ijtema has been taking place in Bangladesh since the 1960s, when it used to take place at Dhaka's Kakrail mosque. In 1948, it took place at the Haji Camp in Eastern District of Chittagong, and shifted to District of Narayanganj's Shiddhirganj in 1958. With a steady increase in the number of devotees attending, the Biswa Ijtema was shifted to the banks of Turag in Tongi in 1966 and has been taking place there ever since.

2mn devotees gather for Dhaka congregation 

A member of Rapid Action Battalion looks through a pair of binoculars as devotees arrive to take part in the Friday prayer during Bishwa Ijtema (world congregation) in Dhaka yesterday.At least 2mn devotees from Bangladesh and abroad joined the first phase of Bishwa Ijtema (world congregation), the second biggest gathering of Muslims after Haj, yesterday on the banks of the river Turag, at Tongi near Dhaka. The congregation formally began with the delivery of religious sermons after the Fazr prayers. It will conclude with the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) tomorrow.Tablig Jamaat has been organising the congregation every year since 1946. Multi-tier security measures have been taken in and around the ground to avert any unpleasant incident. Around 12,000 security personnel from different agencies have been posted to ensure smooth holding of the congregation. Observation towers have also been set up to watch public movement while close-circuit television cameras and video cameras installed at 17 entrances of the venue keep a watch on the ground. 

Over 25,000 devotees from over 100 countries, including China, USA, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UK are participating in the congregation. Special measures have been taken to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the three-day congregation. Congregation’s appeal has grown largely over the years among those who cannot afford to go to Makkah for the Haj. 

Mohammad Gias Uddin, an organiser, said the 160-acre ground has been covered with canopy stretching more than a kilometre. Though cooking materials could not be managed for local devotees, a separate tin-roofed area has been earmarked on the venue with gas, electricity, telephone and other modern facilities for foreign devotees, he added. The ground has been divided in 39 blocks marked for 64 districts in the first phase and 38 blocks in the second. Eight bridges have been thrown up on the Turag, supervisor of pontoon bridge construction Major Mohammad Emran Islam Bhuiyan said. Government-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation is operating buses to facilitate easy movement of pilgrims to and from the congregation.

Biswa Ijtema  second phase  

The Second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second largest Muslim congregation in the world, begins today on the bank of the Turag in Tongi with participation of over two million devotees from home and abroad. Devotees from across the country have gathered at the Ijtema venue, some 20km north of Dhaka city, to seek divine blessings of Allah. 

For the second time the Ijtema is being held in two phases. The first phase ended today and second phase end through the concluding prayer on January 22. Around 25,000 devotees from over 100 countries including China, India, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the UK and the US are expected to attend the congregation being organised by Tablig-e-Jamaat since 1967. 

The Ijtema features sermons on fundamental issues of Islam, prayer for spiritual adulation, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim community. Thousands of volunteers are working round the clock to prepare the venue on 160 acres of land to accommodate the devotees. Shahjahan Miah, state minister for religious affairs, Shamsul Haque Tuku, state minister for home, and Jahangir Kabir Nanok, state minister for LGRD and cooperatives, visited the ground. 

Multi-tier security measures have been taken in and around the ground to avert any untoward incident. Helicopters, speedboats and pickup-vans will keep on patrolling, while fire service vehicles and ambulances have been kept ready for emergency. Around 12,000 security personnel from different law-enforcement agencies will be posted to maintain law and order. Additional Director General (operation) of Rab Mujibur Rahman said around 1,000 to 1,200 Rab personnel will be deployed. 

Special bus service for Ijtema 

The state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has decided to start special bus service to facilitate easy movement of pilgrims to and from Bishwa Ijtema, the world congregation of Muslims, at Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. A government media statement on BRTC has also taken various initiatives for the journey of the pilgrims from Dhaka and its nearby important areas or terminals. BRTC will operate single- and double-decker buses as 'Bishwa Ijtema Special' service between Jan 12 and 24. It will run 50 buses from Aricha, Patuaria, Mawa, Mirpur, Narsingdi, Bhairab, Mymensingh, Saidabad, Gulistan, Gabtali, Kamalapur and Joydevpur bus terminals. The corporation has opened a control room at Joarsahara Bus Depot to run the Ijtema services. The phone number of the control room is 8911778.