Hundreds of couples will tie the knot in the afternoon

Hundreds of couples will marry without dowry on the second day of Biswa Ijtema, one of the largest congregation of Muslims anywhere in the world. It has been a tradition to hold dowry-free marriages at the Ijtema, which is held in Bangladesh’s Tongi on the banks of Turag River. The mass marriages will take place after the Asr prayers on Saturday. Guardians of the brides and grooms have been registering names of the would-be spouses since morning. These marriages take place in presence of family members of the men and women and with their consent. Special prayers for the happiness of the newly-weds’ are held. Maulana Zobairul Hasan will conduct these marriages, said a custodian at Biswa Ijtema. The first phase of the congregation which began on Friday will end on Sunday with the ‘Akheri Munajat (final prayers)’. The second phase will start in the same area in the outskirts of Dhaka city on Jan 31, according to bdnews.com.