The two-phase world congregation of Tablig Jamaat known as Bishwa Ijtema will begin on the bank of river Turag on January 8, reports BSS. Preparations for the 50th Ijtema are going on in full swing on 160 acres of land on the eastern bank of the Turag on the outskirts of the capital. Hundreds of devotees are working voluntarily for erecting canopies, filling earth and building fences. Organizers said the first phase of the Ijtema will begin on January 8 and conclude on January 10 through ‘Akheri Munajat’ (concluding prayer). The second phase will begin on January 15 and end on January 17 also through ‘Akheri Munajat’. The modernization of the Ijtema ground started after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina came to power in 1996, said Jahid Hassan Russel, MP. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman allocated 160 acres of land after independence for holding the Ijtema. Devotees from more than 160 countries take part in the Ijtema every year. Special arrangements are being made with corrugated iron sheets at the northeast corner of the ground. High-level meetings have been held to maintain law and order and ensure smooth supply of water, gas and electricity for the Ijtema devotees. The army has made eight floating bridges across the Turag to facilitate the movement of the devotees. Four thousand members of police, RAB and other agencies would be deployed to build a four-tier security network at the Ijtema ground.