Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- More than a million of Muslims sought world peace and divine blessings for mankind and the Muslim Ummah as the second phase of Biswa Ijtema concluded on Sunday through the final supplication, Akheri Munajat.
Indian religious scholar Zobayerul Hasan led the 18-minute munajat at the Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the Hajj, on the bank of river Turag in Tongi.
People of all ages from home and abroad thronged the 160-acre Biswa Ijtema grounds, spilling over the adjacent roads and all open spaces that turned the venue into a human sea.
They raised their hands and prayed for world peace, spiritual progress, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim community.
As in 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 by Fajr prayers.
The Ijtema was held on the bank of Turag, some 20 kilometres north of the capital, in two phases for the last three years. The first phase this year was held on January 11-13 and the second one began on January 18.
More than 25,000 devotees from over 100 countries, including China, USA, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UK, took part in the Ijtema, held for the 48th time.
A number of dowry-free marriages were conducted on the Ijtema grounds on Saturday to encourage and raise awareness among people to shun the social menace.
Tablig Jamaat has been organising the annual congregation, also called the World Muslims' Congregation.
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 as the grounds at Pagar was not large enough to accommodate the increasing number of devotees.
BBN/SSR/AD-20Jan13-1:44 pm (BST)
