The first phase of the three-day-long Biswa Ijtema concluded with the offering of Akheri Munajat (final prayer) on the banks of the Turag river at Tongi in Gazipur yesterday. Millions of devotees from home and abroad participated in the prayer. The Akheri Munajat, which was conducted by Indian Mawlana Mohammed Saad, a top scholar of Tablig Jamaat, started at 11.07am and ended at 11.32am. He sought spiritual blessings and welfare of Muslims in his final prayer in Urdu and Arabic. He also delivered a special sermon just before Akheri Munajat. A Shura member of Tablig Jamat and Bangladeshi Mawlana Wasiful Islam also delivered sermons after Fazre prayers. People from 17 districts and more than 7,000 foreign devotees from over 100 countries joined the Munajat, braving the chill. A number of people from the capital and adjacent areas of Tongi, including Gazipur, Savar and Uttara, also participated in the final prayer. They had to walk to reach the venue, as vehicular movement on the Dhaka-Mymenshing highway was halted since Saturday midnight to avoid traffic snarls.  The Ijtema ground was teeming with millions of devotees before Akheri Munajat. The devotees sought forgiveness and divine blessings for Muslim Ummah in Akheri Munajat. Maulana Mohammed Saad called upon Muslims to follow Islam in everyday life and dedicate them to establish Islamic values in society. The Munajat was relayed to far-flung areas through loudspeakers.
Roads, sidewalks, open spaces, foot over-bridges and rooftops of nearby houses and factory buildings were dotted with people. Some had to walk several kilometres as traffic movement from Joydevpur to Kuril, Kamarpara to Ashilia, and Station road to Mireer Bazar came to a halt.
A holiday was declared in government and private offices, mills, factories and educational institutes in Tongi and Gazipur so that everybody can join the Munajat.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, along with her sister Sheikh Rehana, agriculture minister Motia Chowdhury and former foreign minister Dr Dipu Moni participated in Akheri Munajat at her government office, Ganabhaban, in Dhaka. BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia also took part in the Munajat at her residence at Gulshan in Dhaka.
Liberation War affairs minister AKM Mozammel Haque, lawmaker Zahid Ahsan Rasel, home ministry secretary Dr Mozammel Haque Khan, Gazipur deputy commissioner SM Alam and additional DIG (admin) of Dhaka Range Police Shafikul Islam also participated in Akheri Munajat at the police control room set up at Shahid Ahsan Ullah Master Stadium in Tongi.
Sources said over 7,000 foreign devotees from different countries participated in the first phase of Ijtema. The highest number of devotees came from Pakistan and India.
Traffic jam after the Munajat : A traffic jam was seen on roads and highways after the Munajat, as devotees started their journey to their respective destinations. Most people went walking as there were no vehicles. On the other, the Gazipur district police administration managed a special shuttle bus from the Ijtema ground to Gazipur Chowrasta and Station Road to Mirer Bazar to carry local people who joined Akheri Munajat.
Gazipur SP Harun Or Rashid said these special shuttle buses carried devotees without any money. After the Munajat, a huge rush was seen at Tongi railway station. Bangladesh Railway provided some special trains from Tongi station for home-bound devotees.
Nine devotees die: At least nine devotees, including an Indonesian, died at the Bishwa Ijtema ground in Tongi of Gazipur district. Of them, Hafez Abu Baker (60) of Olipur village under Hathazari upazila in Chittagong district died just before Akheri Munajat yesterday morning. Dalilur Rahman (75) of Kazipur area of Sirajganj district died of old age-related complications around 4:45am yesterday. Joynal Abedin (60) of Horinarayanpur village of the same district died of cold-related problems at 1am yesterday.
An Indonesian national, Purnam Sopan alias Sofa Hajji (56), died of cardiac arrest on Saturday. He was a resident of Jakarta. Gias Uddin, a member of Ijtema management committee, said, “Sofa Hazi fell sick after cardiac arrest on Saturday afternoon and was sent to Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka where the doctors declared him dead. He was buried at the Ijtema ground graveyard on Saturday night. Three more devotees died of cardiac arrest and other complications on Saturday (January 9). Two others died of cardiac arrest earlier on Thursday night. Devotees from 32 districts are taking part in the first two phases of Ijtema this year. People from rest of the 32 districts will take part in the other two phases next year. The second phase of Ijtema this year will start on January 15 and end on January 17 with Akheri Munajat.