District Representative: The first phase of Biswa Ijtema ended with the last prayer at Tongi in Gazipur.

Also read: Worshipers going to last prayer

On Sunday (February 4), the last prayer started at 9:00 am and ended at 9:22 pm. Imam and Khatib Hafez of Kakrail Mosque led the prayer of Maulana Zobair.

To participate in the final prayers, the pilgrims came in groups towards Ijtema Maidan from early morning today.

Earlier, from Saturday (February 3) night, pilgrims started coming to Tongi by buses, trucks, minibuses, microbuses, trains and trawlers.

From early morning, thousands of men and women from nearby areas including Dhaka, Tongi and Gazipur can be seen walking towards the Ijtema Maidan to participate in the prayer.

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On the ground, Ijtema area has been seen, hundreds of women have started taking position inside the nearby mills-factories and houses to participate in the final prayer.

As there is no separate place for women, they are forced to take their own initiative to sit in different places surrounded by screens.

There are special arrangements for disabled people to participate in Ijtema next to Tashkil Kamra in Ijtema Maidan. In this arrangement, more than 200 disabled people have participated in Ijtema.

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Mosharraf Hossain, who came from Kapasia in Gazipur's Millgate area, said, I left for Ijtema Math at 6:30 in the morning to participate in prayer. I am coming by bus till Gazipur Chowrasta. Then I was able to walk to Millgate.

In Tongi Bazar area, Mominul Haque said, I am coming from Narayanganj to pray. I left home at 5 am and came here. I will return home after praying.

Mahabub Alam, Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP), said that since 12 o'clock last night, traffic has been stopped on Tongi-Kamarpara road, Dhaka-Mymensingh highway from Tongi to Bhogra bypass of Gazipur and Abdullahpur to Ashulia bypile.

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In this situation, the vehicles going to Mymensingh and Gazipur have been asked to use the 300 feet road via Konabari via Gabtali and the vehicles going to Dhaka via Bhogra bypass. No goods vehicles or vehicles will be allowed to ply on these roads.

It is known that foreign guests have come from 72 countries in this year's Ijtema. These include India, Pakistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Japan, Oman, Canada, Mozambique, Malaysia, South Africa, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Italy, Jordan and the United Kingdom.

The second phase of Ijtema will start from next Friday (February 9) and end on Sunday (February 11). Followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi will participate in this episode.

Sun News/NJ