The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema began on Friday morning with thousands of Muslim devotees flocking to the venue of the three-day Islamic congregation in Tongi on the outskirts of the capital.

Thousands of pilgrims from home and abroad participated in the Jum’a prayers on the Ijtema ground.

Hundreds of Muslims from different countries, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Syria, Chad, Tajikistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Palestine, the UK, and the US, have thronged the Turag riverbank to listen to scholars reciting and explaining verses from the holy Quran and renew their pledge to implement Islamic values in their lives.

Bangladeshi devotees took position at 91 district-wise Khita designated for them, while by Friday afternoon, some 4,361 foreign guests were present at the Ijtema, said Zaheer Ibn Muslim, media coordinator for the Islamic congregation.

The Bishwa Ijtema (world congregation) venue started to fill with people on Tuesday, and the venue was completely filled by Thursday evening, encompassing more than a square kilometre area.

The 56th edition of the annual Bishwa Ijtema, the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, began with the a’mbayan (general sermons) of Pakistani Islamic scholar Maulana Ziaul Haque after Fajr prayers.

Professor Sanaullah, Maulana Akbar Sharif, and Maulana Ibrahim Deola of India and Dr Naushad of Pakistan preached the devotees in the morning and before the Jum’a prayers.

Maulana Ismail Godra of India delivered sermon after Jumma prayers, Maulana Zobair Ahmed of Bangladesh after Asr prayers and Maulana Ahmed Lat gave his sermon after Maghrib prayers. Sermons of foreign scholars were translated into Bengali.

Bangladesh’s largest Jum’a prayers, led by Hafez Maulana Zobair Ahmed, leader of a faction of Tabligh Jamaat, held on the Ijtema ground at 1:45pm. At 1:40pm, the imam read the khutba.

Thousands of Muslims from Dhaka, Gazipur and surrounding areas gathered the Ijtema ground to participate in the Jum’a prayers.

Since dawn, people from the capital and its adjacent areas flocked to the Ijtema venue.

By 12:00pm, the 160-acre Ijtema ground and surrounding open space were filled with pilgrims. Being unable to find a place there, many were seen attending the prayers from the rooftops of buildings. The Tongi area looked like a human sea of devotees.

Some devotees complained that they struggled for water for bath and ‘wudu’.

“We have been struggling for water. There is lack of water for bathing and wudu for such a huge gathering. Besides, mobile network of different mobile phone operators is not working properly at the Ijtema ground,” Mohammad Salahuddin, a devotee who came to the Ijtema from Kishoreganj, told the Daily Sun.

Volunteers said they, with the help of different organisations of the government, have been trying to resolve the issues.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mollah Nazrul Islam said additional police personnel have been deployed in and around the Ijtema venue to ensure the security of the devotees.

The venue has been brought under closed circuit television (CCTV) camera surveillance.

Also, the government set up health camps for the devotees to provide them with treatment like the previous years.

Another pilgrim died at the Ijtema venue on Friday due to old-age complications. Earlier, two devotees died from cold-related illness on Thursday.

The first phase of Bishwa Ijtema will end on Sunday with Akheri Munajat (final prayers).

The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema will begin on January 20 and end on January 22.

Tabligh Jamaat has been organising the Bishwa Ijtema at this venue since 1967 though the first gathering was held in 1946 at Kakrail mosque in Dhaka.