Devotees from around the world will start arriving in a couple of days for the three-day Ijtema that takes place on an area of 160 acres of land on the eastern bank of the river Turag.

Every year, about two million people from home and abroad join the grand meet, organised by the Tablig Jamaat. Devotees from Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle Eastern countries pray for the divine blessings, unity and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

Volunteers have already set up pandals and makeshift camps. Hundreds of devotees from the Kakrail Grand Mosque, other mosques, students from madrassahs and different religious institutions carried bamboo poles, gunny and other necessary things to the spot from as early as October.

The north-western side of the area has been selected for foreign devotees. Separate camps have been set up for different countries with separate arrangements for food, ablution etc. Strong security measures have also been taken.

The Ijtema Committee at a meeting presided by Agriculture Minister MK Anwar last week took 22 decisions to make the annual meet a success without any trouble.

The decisions include smooth supply of water and electricity, arrangement for gas for foreign guests, increasing telephones facilities, round-the-clock medical and fire services, special trains from Dhaka etc.

Meanwhile, the jawans from Bangladesh Army and Navy are working to flatten out land and fill up low-lying areas to make them suitable for use by the devotees. They are also setting up four pontoon bridges over the Turag.

On the other hand, although there are two permanent overhead water tanks, two deep tube-wells and around 50 reserve tanks have been set up. Over 100 pucca and thousands of make-shift toilets are being erected.

Police, army and local administration will have their control rooms to ensure law and order and meet emergency.

Generators for uninterrupted electric supply have been set up while the control rooms will provide telephone facilities.

Tongi Government Hospital will have 30 extra beds for treatment of the devotees. It has opened temporary burn, asthma and diarrhoea units. Six ambulances will be there to bring emergency patients to Dhaka. Besides, fifty doctors will be on duty at four other temporary medical camps.

The first Ijtema was held at Kakrail Grand Mosque in 1946. The second at Chittagong Hajj Camp in 1948. In 1958, it took place at Siddhirganj in Narayanganj. The 20th grand meet was held at a village at Tongi.

Sources said, Tongi became the permanent venue for Biswa Ijtema when the then Pakistan government allowed the organisers in 1967 to use the land by the river Turag. Later Bangladesh government allotted 160 acres for the purpose.