Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The three-day World Congregation of Muslims, generally known as Biswa Ijtema, ended on Sunday with millions of devotees from home and abroad taking part in the concluding prayer (akheri munajat).
Maulana Jobayerul Hasan of Tablig-e-Jamaat, India led the 22-minute munajat at the ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims in the world after the Hajj, on the bank of Turag just outside Dhaka, Bangladesh seeking global peace, unity and welfare of the Muslim Ummah along with salvation in the world hereafter.
The munajat started around 12:18pm (local time) and ended at 12:40pm (local time). Maulana Jobayerul, in Urdu and Arabic, called upon the Muslims to follow Islam in everyday life and dedicate them to establish Islamic values in the society.
President M Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Opposition Leader Begum Khaleda Zia, ministers, members of parliament, political leaders and senior officials joined the prayers along with devotees from all walks of life.
The three-day congregation began with the delivery of Aam Bayan (principal sermon) after the Fazr prayers on Friday. Throughout the three days, Islamic scholars from different countries delivered sermons on various aspects of Islam.
About 25,000 devotees from some 90 countries joined the congregation, organizers said.
The countries include India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Canada, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Thailand, Singapore, Morocco, Japan, Philippines, Egypt, Syria, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Nigeria, South Africa, Turkey, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Spain.
Around 20,000 security personnel from the police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and various intelligence agencies have been put in place to ensure security.
The government arranged special trains, buses and river craft to carry devotees from ijtema ground to their homes.
Bangladesh has been hosting the Bishwa Ijtema since 1967.
BBN/SS/SI/AD-25January10-1:45 am (BST)
