Devotees from different districts have gathered at the Biswa Ijtema ground on the Turag bank at Tongi of Gazipur as the first phase of the three-day congregation begins today.

This year, the devotees of 32 districts are going to take part in Ijtema in two phases. Of which, devotees of 17 districts, including a part of Dhaka, will participate in the first phase, which will conclude on January 15 with the Akheri Munajat (concluding prayer).

The second phase of Ijtema will start on January 20 and end on January 22 with the Akheri Munajat.

As the Ijtema committee last year decided to hold the Ijtema in four phases in two years, devotees of 32 districts performed their Ijtema that year in two phases, and the rest 32 will take part in two phases this year.

Devotees taking part in this year's first phase are from Dhaka, Tangail, Mymensingh, Joypurhat, Manikganj, Rangpur, Chapainawabganj, Brahmanbaria, Gazipur, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Satkhira, Jessore, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Moulvibazar.

Tablighi Jamaat has been organising the Biswa Ijtema, also called the World Muslims' Congregation, every year since 1946. In 2011, the Tablighi Jamaat authorities split the Ijtema into two phases, dividing 64 districts to reduce the pressure at the venue and ensure better management and security.

Engineer Gias Uddin, a Murobbi (an Ijtema organiser), said they were expecting that over 25,000 foreign devotees from 80 countries would attend the Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims after the Hajj.

Col Anwar Latif Khan, additional director general (operations) of the Rapid Action Battalion, said they took adequate security measures after assessing the overall law and order. “There is no threat regarding this year's Ijtema."

Devotees head for the Ijtema ground in Tongi. Star file photo

Superintendent of Police in Gazipur Harun Or Rashid said nine watchtowers of Rab and five watchtowers of police had been set up to ensure security of the devotees. 

He said they were ready to tackle any kind of untoward situation.

Harun said around 12,000 members of the law enforcement agencies would be deployed at the Ijtema ground in the two phases for the devotees' security. 

There are 8,106 concrete toilets, concrete bathrooms and houses with concrete walls and corrugated iron sheet roofs for the devotees at the venue.

Prof Abul Kalam Azad, a Murobbi, who is involved in preparing the Ijtema venue, said they had prepared separate rooms for foreign devotees at the northwestern side of the Ijtema ground.

An engineer of Gazipur City Corporation (Tongi zone) under said every day around three crore litres of water would be pumped out of tube wells set up at the venue.

He said they took all kinds of preparations to ensure supply of electricity round the clock.

Fire service and civil defence had also set up a control room to ensure fire safety.

Ali Haider Khan, civil surgeon of Gazipur, said they set up six makeshift medical camps to provide free treatment to the devotees. They also prepared a list of specialist doctors and medical officers who will be on duty at the Ijtema ground.

DEVOTEE DIES

Fazlul Haque, 56, a devotee from Nandail of Mymensingh, died of cardiac arrest yesterday morning.

VEHICLE PARKING SPOTS

In a press release on Wednesday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police asked the devotees to park their vehicles at their designated spots.

Devotees from Chittagong division will have to park their vehicles on Gausul Azam Avenue, Dhaka division at Sonargaon crossing to Diabari Khal Par, Sylhet division on Sha Makhdum Avenue of Uttara Sector-12, Khulna division at open spaces of Uttara Sector-16 and-18, Rangpur division at Kamarpara Truck Stand and Uttara Sector-10, Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions at Prottasha Housing, Barisal division at the park adjacent to Dhaour bridge and BIWTA landing station, and devotees from the Dhaka metropolitan area will have to park their vehicles at open spaces on Shahjalal Avenue in Uttara and Nikunja-1   and-2.