Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims after hajj, will start on January 13 on the bank of the Turag river in Tongi of Gazipur.

The first phase of the Ijtema will be held from January 13 to 15 and the second phase from January 20 to 22, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told journalists at his ministry yesterday.

Meanwhile, he presided over a meeting in this regard with chiefs of all law enforcement departments, where officials of different ministries and deputy commissioner of Gazipur were also present.

The Ijtema authorities will have to give the home ministry beforehand a list of pilgrims coming from the war-torn countries, Kamal said.

There will be a reception desk, CCTV cameras, watch towers, and plainclothes police at the venue and a special committee will be formed for foreign guests attending the event, he mentioned, adding, police personnel will guard the venue.

Tablighi Jamaat has been organising the Biswa Ijtema every year since 1946.

The three-day congregation includes delivering boyans (sermons) on fundamental issues of Tablighi Jamaat, prayer for the Muslim Ummah and recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith.

The minister said about 20,000 foreign devotees from 101 countries participated in the last congregation. This time their number will increase, he hoped.

Special measures will be taken to ease traffic congestion from Gazipur to Dhaka ahead of the Ijtema, and special train and bus services will be launched for transporting devotees to the venue, Kamal informed.