The first phase of the three-day 57th Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslims, concluded on Sunday morning as thousands of devotees prayed for peace, progress and welfare of the country as well as the Muslim Ummah.
The congregation ended with the 21 minutes long Akheri Munajat (final prayers) beginning at 9am at the Ijtema venue in Tongi of Gazipur as Kakrail Jame Mosque’s Pesh Imam Mawlana Jubayer Ahmed conducted the munajat.
Earlier in the morning after the Fajr prayer, Pakistani Tabligh leader Ziaul Huq delivered the sermon, which was translated into Bangla by Bangladeshi Maulana Nurul Rahman.
Devout pilgrims from different parts of the country kept coming to participate in the munajat from early morning today.
Several lakhs of people were also seen to gather on the Kamarpara road and the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway as the ground was filled to its capacity.
Local factories, offices, schools and other business institutions were closed today, for a smooth traffic operation.
Workers of different local factories, students and a large number of women devotees, as well, participated in the munajat that was conducted in Arabic, Urdu and Bangla languages.
Millions of people in the country and abroad also joined and raised their hands together for praying to Allah as the munajat was broadcast live on mobile phones and satellite televisions.
The second phase of Biswa Ijtema will begin on Friday next (February 9) with a break of four days. It will end on February 9 with the Akheri Munajat.