The first phase of the Biswa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of the Muslim community after the Holy Hajj will begin today (Friday) on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi, in Gazipur city. The local administration and the Ijtema management committee have made all preparations to hold the Ijtema successfully.

This year, devotees from only 27 districts will attend the Ijtema. Devotees from 14 districts will attend in the first phase, while devotees from 14 districts (including Dhaka district’s devotees in both phases) will attend in the second phase. The rest of devotees will attend the regional Ijtema that will be held in their districts later.

The first phase of the Ijtema will end with Akheri Munajat on January 14. The second phase will commence after 4 days of first phase, on January 19, and will end on January 21 with the Akhery Munajat.

Thousands of devotees from all over the country and abroad have already reached the Ijtema ground, braving the countrywide cold on Thursday.

Though the Ijtema is going to start after today’s (Friday) Fazre prayer, the highest scholars of Ijtema have begun delivering their sermons from the Fazre prayer on Thursday.

In the past few years, Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, a top scholar of Indian Tablig Jamat, has been presenting the Akhari Munajat and delivering sermons on the last day. But this year, there is a lot of uncertainty about Maulana Saad due to his controversial comments on certain religious issues.

In order to avoid any untoward situation, he will not attend in the first phase of the Ijtema at Tongi, though he reached Bangladesh on Wednesday amidst protests by a number of Tablig followers. As a result, it is not yet decided who will lead the Akhery Munajat on the last day.

However, the Gazipur district administration, Gazipur City Corporation, and the Ijtema authorities have already completed all the preparations to hold the event. Volunteers of the Bishwa Tablig Jamat, students from schools, colleges and Madrashas and people from all walks of life prepared the ground. A massive pandal has been erected to accommodate the participants.

Engineer Mohammed Gias Uddin, one of the decision-makers of Ijtema told The Independent, “All preparations have been completed. We have installed modern facilities, including gas and power supply, ambulance service and telephone connection on the north-west side at the venue for the foreign devotees.

Deputy Commissioner of Gazipur Dr Dewan Mohammed Humayun Kabir said, “We will conduct mobile courts at the Ijtema area to ensure law and order and also monitor the hotels and restaurants in the area.”

Mayor of Gazipur city corporation professor MA Mannan said that the city corporation authorities sprayed pesticides to eliminate mosquitoes at the Ijtema ground and surrounding areas with the help of 26 fog machines. The exercise to fight mosquitoes will continue until the end of the Ijtema.

He said 21 garbage trucks had been deployed to remove waste from the Ijtema field. To control dust, he said, water would be sprayed. Bleaching power, too, would be sprinkled. Besides, at least, 136 gas stoves have been set up for cooking in the foreigners’ camps, and 45 medical service centres have been set up to provide free medical care.

To maintain law and order, adequate steps have been taken at the Ijtema ground and its surrounding areas. On Thursday morning, Gazipur police held a press briefing about their preparation at the Shahid Ahsan Ullah Master stadium in Tongi. Additional inspector general of police Moinur Reza Chowdhury, additional DIG (Dhaka Range) Abul Kalam Siddiquee, superintendent of Gazipur Police Harun-or-Rashid spoke at the press meet.

They said that separate control rooms run by the district administration, police, and RAB had been set up, while 41 CCTV cameras and 15 watchtowers would help monitor the venue from different points. About 7,000 law enforcers would be on duty during the Ijtema. Besides, a number of plain-clothed police personnel would also work with them.

On the otherhand, 1,800 traffic police personnel will be posted on different roads and highways to ensure normal traffic flow. It was said at the briefing that there was no effect on the devotees of the controversy surrounding Mawlana Saad Kandhalvi.