Millions join Akheri Munajat

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FE Team | Published: January 25, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

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TONGI (Gazipur), Jan 24 (UNB): Millions of devotees joined the Akheri Munajat of the three-day Biswa Ijtema Sunday on the bank of Turag River seeking divine blessings for the purgation of their souls and guiding them to the path of Islam and Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH).
Maulana Jobayrul Hasan of New Delhi led the 25-minute concluding prayers that began at 12:20pm.
President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Khaleda Zia joined the concluding prayers with millions of Muslim devotees who gathered at the traditional Ijtema venue from different parts of the country and abroad.
In a bid to ease the sufferings of the devotees, Prime Minister Hasina this year joined the Akheri Munajat from the rooftop of Civil Aviation Authority's Headquarters Bhaban instead of Bata Shoe Company Building in Tongi.
Before the Akheri Munajat from 12:20pm to 12:42 pm, the Prime Minister spent nearly one and a half hours in deep meditation in an inspiring atmosphere.
Hasina also recited verses from holy Quran before she raises her hands for the Munajat.
In the Munajat, she sought divine blessings for the continued peace and prosperity of the people and progress and development of the country. She also prayed for the unity and integrity of the Muslim Ummah.
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, among others, attended the Akheri Munajat with the Prime Minister.
State Minister for Home Shamsul Huq Tuku, State Minister for Religious Affairs M Shahjahan Miah, Awami League Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Hanif, Mustafa Jalal Mohiuddin MP, Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister MA Karim and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Abul Kalam Azad also attended the Akheri Munajat.
A source in the Prime Minister's Office said Saturday night the Prime Minister had decided to join the Akheri Munajat from the Civil Aviation building so that her joining did not cause any sufferings to the devotees.
Khaleda Zia took part in the Akheri Munajat from Atlas Bangladesh Factory premises and sought peace and progress of the country's people.
The BNP chairperson arrived on the Atlas Bangladesh factory premises, adjacent to the Ijtema ground, at 10:15am.
Khaleda Zia along with her family members and party leaders listened to sermons delivered by Muslim scholars before the Munajat.
BNP leaders Nazrul Islam Khan, Prof MA Mannan, Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka, Selima Rahman, Amanullah Aman, Fazlul Huq Milon, Khairul Kabir Khokon, Nazimuddin Alam, Rasheda Begum MP, Ashrafia Papia MP and Maruf Kamal Khan accompanied the BNP chief.
Sources said some 24,942 devotees from 80 foreign countries attended the Ijtema apart from around two and a half million local devotees.
Islamic scholars from Pakistan, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Algeria, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon delivered sermons.
In their sermons, the scholars spoke on various aspects of Islam, especially Namaz, Roza, Iman and Akherat.