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Biswa Ijtema

Devotees gather again in Tongi

Helemul Alam and Abu Bakar Siddique Akand
The second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the world's second largest Muslim congregation after holy Hajj, began yesterday on the bank of the river Turag at Tongi with religious
sermons being delivered by Islami scholars.
Thousands of devotees from home and abroad have joined the gathering to seek divine blessings of Allah that increased significantly during Juma prayers.
Maulana Qwari Zobayer, imam of Kakrail mosque, led the prayers while the second phase of the Ijtema began officially by the boyans (sermons) of Maulana Jamshed of Pakistan after Fajr prayers.
Maulana Md Hossain of Bangladesh delivered sermons after Juma prayers.
The vehicular movement from Abdullahpur to Gazipur Chowrasta came to a halt for about an hour as a large number of devotees performed their Juma prayers on the streets. Many had to offer their prayers on the roof of buses due to shortage of space.
Meanwhile, five devotees died on the Ijtema venue since Thursday night, said Ismail Hossain, officer-in-charge of Tongi Police Station.
Of the deceased, Maulana Hedayet Ullah, 68, of Noakhali, died in a road accident while crossing Dhaka-Mymensingh highway near Tongi Bus Stand area yesterday morning, the OC said.
The four others - Tojam Sarder, 80, of Magura, Abdul Latif, 75, of Comilla, Nur-e-Alam, 65, ofNoakhali, and Abdur Rob Sheikh, 70 - died of cardiac arrest and old age complications yesterday, said Mahbubur Rahman Chowdhury, resident medical officer ofTongi Upazila Health Complex.
Around 20,000 uniformed and plainclothes policemen and members of Rab and intelligence agencies are in place on the Ijtema ground to ensure smooth holding of the congregation.
The first phase was held from January 24 to 26 where devotees from 32 districts of the country along with around 20,000 foreign
devotees of 103 countries took part.
The devotees from the rest of 33 districts with around 10,000 foreign devotees are joining the second phase which is scheduled to be concluded by Akheri Munajat or concluding prayer on Sunday.
The three-day congregation of the second phase includes delivering boyans (sermons) on the fundamental issues of Tabligh, prayer for the spiritual, exaltation and welfare of the Muslim Ummah, recitation from the holy Quran and Hadith and arranging dowry-free marriage.
Several mobile courts yesterday filed 11 cases and fined different restaurants adjoining the ground Tk 45,000 for selling adulterated food and unhygienic atmosphere at their restaurants, officer-in-charge ofTongi Police Station said.
The districts from where the devotees are participating in the second phase are: Narayanganj, Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Manikganj, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Tangail, Jamalpur, Barisal, Netrakona, Comilla, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Mymensingh, Laxmipur, Brahmanbaria, Kurigram, Bogra, Panchagarh, Chapainawabganj, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Naogaon, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Copalganj, Satkhira, Magura, Khulna, Sunamganj and Moulvibazar.