Live Correspondent: The first phase of the three-day Bishwa Ijtema will end today with Akheri Munajat, or final prayer, at the Ijtema ground at Tongi, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Kakrail mosque imam Hafez Maulana Mohammad Zubayer is expected to conduct the Akheri Munajat in Bangla anytime between 10:00am and 11:30am and he will also conduct the  special sermon ‘Hedayeti Bayan’ before the Munajat seeking blessings for the Muslims across the world.

Meanwhile, four more elderly devotees died due to health complications at the Ijtema venue in Tongi on Friday night and Saturday morning.

So far, seven people have died at the Ijtema venue during the first phase, said Tongi East police station officer-in-charge Ashraful Islam.

The deceased are Nurul Haque, 63, from Jointapur in Sylhet, Abu Taiab alias Abu Taleb, 90 of Gazipur district, Habibullah Habi, 68, of Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka, Mofazzel Hossain Khan, 70, of Dumuria upazila in Khulna, Akkas Ali Shikdar, 50, from Munshiganj, Abdur Razzak, 70, from Chattogram and Habibur Rahman Hobi, 70, of Narsingdi.

The Ijtema ground and nearby areas are already full of tens of thousands of devotees from districts across the country.

The first phase of the Ijtema congregation, considered the second-largest gathering of Muslim devotees in the world, started on Friday. The second phase will take place on January 20–22.

Tablig group Zubair Hassan’s followers are participating in the first phase, while Muhammad Saad Al Kandhalvi’s followers will attend the second phase of Ijtema.

Devotees from across the country had been coming to the ground until Saturday evening, and more devotees are expected to join the Akheri Munajat this morning, defying the ongoing shivering cold.

A good number of devotees were suffering from cold-related diseases and diarrhoea at the Ijtema ground.

Several thousand people have fallen sick so far, according to medical camp staff operating on the ground. Some devotees complained about unhygienic water being used for cooking.

On Saturday afternoon, after asr prayers, over 100 marriages were arranged without dowries in Ijtema Ground. Marriages without dowries were held after a gap of a few years, according to the organisers.

Gazipur district administration on Saturday conducted mobile court raids in the area and fined several restaurants for selling unhygienic food and charging excessive prices.

Gazipur deputy commissioner Anisur Rahman said that their mobile court conducted 15 raids and realised Tk 59,500 in fines.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police additional deputy commissioner Jisaul Haque said that several dozen people were admitted to hospitals and clinics with cold-related diseases and diarrhoea.

He said that the police were on alert to ensure that safe water was being used for cooking.

Devotees complained of poor mobile network coverage in the Ijtema ground and nearby areas. They had been facing trouble making and receiving calls and using the internet. Journalists were also facing problems trying to cover the Ijtema gathering.

Tourist Police deputy inspector general Ilias Sharif said that 5,286 foreigners from different countries had participated in the first phase of Ijtema.

He said that many foreigners had lost their passports, mobile SIM cards, and moneybags, and the tourist police were addressing those issues.

Gazipur Metropolitan Police and Dhaka Metropolitan Police have issued some directives and restrictions on traffic movement to reduce the suffering of Bishwa Ijtema devotees today.

Movements of vehicles on some roads in Gazipur will remain suspended for around six hours due to Ijtema, said GMP commissioner Mollah Nazrul Islam.

As part of the rationalised traffic system, vehicle movement will remain suspended from Tongi to Bhogra Bypass on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, Khamarpara road, Abdullahpur to Bypile on Ashulia Road from 12:00am on Saturday until the ‘Akheri Munajat.’

The GMP commissioner requested people use the bypass road to avoid traffic gridlock.

Police also said that movements of goods-laden vehicles will also be barred from 10:00pm Saturday to 2:00pm Sunday from Bhogra Bypass to Tongi on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

DMP traffic directives suggest that inter-district buses, trucks, covered vans, and other heavy vehicles avoid the Abdullahpur Dhaur Bridge junction and move via Mohakhali-Bijoy Sarani-Gabtali from 2:00am until the end of Akheri Munajat.

Abdullahpur-bound vehicles from Ashulia will take a right turn at the Dhaur Bridge crossing and pass through Mirpur Beribadh, not reaching Abdullahpur.

All types of vehicles, including inter-district buses, trucks, and covered vans, going from the Mohakhali bus terminal to Abdullahpur will rather move through Bijoy Sarani-Gabtali.

Uttara-bound big buses, trucks, and covered vans from Kakoli and Mirpur will be diverted to the Hotel Radisson Gap.

During Akheri Munajat, traffic movements will be closed on Pragati Sarani Crossing-Abdullahpur-Dhaur Bridge-Ashulia Crossing-Mirpur Mazar Road to Beribadh Road, Zoo to Beribadh Road, and Pallabi Eastern Housing Area to Beribadh Road.

Dhaka, 15 January (campuslive24.com)// AZ