Biswa Ijtema ends with call for world peace

This year's Biswa Ijtema has ended with the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) seeking world peace. Hundreds of thousands of devotees reached Tongi town in Gazipur district to attend the Akheri Munajat. It is the second biggest Muslim congregation in the world after the Hajj and is held in winter every year. Indian cleric Maulana Md Zobairul Hassan conducted the 17-minute Akheri Munajat on the concluding (3rd) day in the second part of the two-phase Biswa Ijtema on Sunday morning. The Akheri Munajat ended around 11am. The devotees were seen walking down to the Ijtema ground to participate in the final prayers on the last day of the annual congregation, organized by Tablig Jamaat. As the ground was full by 8am, thousands were seen gathering in alleys and roads, while many got on boats in the Turag River to join the Akheri Munajat. Traffic on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, leading to Tongi, had been stopped since Saturday midnight. Holiday has been declared in educational institutions, offices and factories around the venue. The first phase of Biswa Ijtema had ended on Jan 26 with the final prayer for world peace. People started heading back home after the prayers, causing traffic snarls on roads and highways out of Tongi, according to bdnews24.com.