First phase of Ijtema begins
The first phase of Ijtema for Tabligh’s Shura-e-Nizam or the followers of Maulana Zubair started with the opening Ambayan (sermon) on Thursday evening on the banks of Turag River in Tongi of Gazipur.
Thousands of Muslims have gathered on the Ijteme field on this occasion. This phase of the Ijtema will end with the Akheri Munajat (final prayer) on 2 February. Gazipur Metropolitan Police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the district administration has tightened security centering the Ijtema.
Media coordinator of Shura-e-Nizam, Habibullah Raihan told Prothom Alo that they will be holding the Ijtema in two phases this time. The first phase of the Ijtema will continue from 31 January till 2 February.
Muslim devotees from 41 districts and from a part of Dhaka would be participating in this phase. Then the second phase of the Ijtema would be held from 3 February to 5 February. Muslim devotees from 22 districts and the remaining part of Dhaka would be joining the Ijtema in this phase.
Devotees from Gazipur, Narail, Rajshahi, Natore, Gaibandha, Jhenaidah, Chapainawabganj, Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogura, Narayanganj, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Chuadanga, Kushtia, Jashore, Magura, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur, Faridpur, Rajbari, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Chattogram, Feni, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Brahmanbaria, Khulna, Cumilla, Kurigram, Panchagarh with Dhaka’s Demra, Kakrail, Mirpur, Dhamrai, Dohar and Nawabganj areas will be participating in the first phase of Ijtema.
Top level Murabbi (leader) of the Shura-e-Nizam, Mahfuzul Hannan said that according to the Arabic calendar officially the Ijtema has already started from Thursday evening and observing the Ijtema in two phases has made it easier for the Muslim devotees.
While visiting the Ijtema ground on Thursday afternoon, presence of devotees was found over the entire Ijtema ground. Thousands of devotees were residing under tents there.
RAB held a press conference from their temporary camp adjacent to the Ijtema ground Thursday afternoon to brief about the overall security arrangement for the Ijtema.
RAB director general AKM Shahidur Rahman said there, "We have taken all necessary measures to ensure the overall security of the Ijtema. There’s not much security risk, except for the internal conflict between the two groups of devotees. Hopefully, the Ijtema will end smoothly."