DHAKA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- With millions of devotees from Bangladesh and other countries praying for global peace, prosperity and fraternal harmony, the first phase of second largest annual Muslim congregation after holy Hajj, called "Biswa Ijtema," ended Sunday in Bangladesh.
The three-day grand prayer, led by renowned Islamic scholar Hafez Mohammad Zobayer, leader of a faction of Tabligh Jamaat (an Islamic organisation) from Bangladesh, at the congregation on the bank of the Turag river at Tongi, some 25 km north of capital Dhaka, specially sought divine blessings and welfare of all mankind.
The second phase of the Biswa Ijtema, which is being held in two phases since 2011 to avoid rush of pilgrims, will begin on the same venue on Jan. 17 and it will conclude with the offering of Akheri Munajat (concluding prayer) on Jan. 19.
To ensure safety and security of the devotees and maintain law and order, thousands of different law-enforcing agencies have been deployed in and around the 60-hectare Ijtema ground, the main venue of the congregation. Several control rooms, watch towers and a number of close circuit cameras have been installed to avert any untoward incidents.
The exact number of devotees on the last day could not be assessed as tens of thousands of devotees from the capital and the adjoining areas join the concluding prayer.
The organizers have arranged loudspeakers several kilometers away from the venue so that devotees could join the grand prayer.
Traffic on many city roads and highways has been kept suspended for hours for smooth holding of the congregation.
