Biswa Ijtema ends with final prayer for peace

The Bishaw Ijtema has come to an end after the offering of final prayers or Akheri Munajat on Tuesday.

Thousands of people joined the congregation at Dhaka’s Tongi, praying for peace in life, the hereafter and the welfare of the nation. Moulana Shamim from Delhi guided the prayer. 

Ijtema this year was postponed due to disputes surrounding the leadership of Tabligh Jamaat, which organises the congregation, said to be the second largest gathering of Muslims after Hajj. 

The Akheri Mujanat on Tuesday concludes the second phase of Ijtema, which was allotted to followers of Delhi’s Moulana Mohammed Saad Kandhalvi, grandson of the Tabligh founder.

Saad’s followers began assembling on the Ijtema ground on the banks of Turag on Sunday morning. The Ijtema’s first phase was allotted to Deoband followers in Tabligh Jamaat, who are led by Imam Muhammed Zubayer of Kakrail Mosque. They held a two-day congregation, ending with an Akheri Munajat on Saturday.

The second phase of the Ijtema was scheduled to end on Monday but was deferred due to bad weather and complaints from Saad followers that Deoband followers left the ground dirty, which meant their rivals did not have enough time to prepare the ground for their phase of the Ijtema.

People started to stream in to Tongi by foot since early Tuesday. As Akheri Munajat began on the ground, people were seen sitting in nearby alleys, on rooftops of home buildings and factories, on the Dhaka-Mymnsingh Highway, Tongi-Ghorashal Highway, and Kamarpara Road. The prayer began at 11.45am and ended at 12.02 pm.

Hafez Iqbal Nayar began to deliver the sermon in Urdu after the dawn prayer which was translated by Moulana Mufti Osama Bin Wasif from Bangladesh.

Moulana Shamim from Delhi delivered the Hedayeti Boyan in Urdu at around 10:00am which was translated to Bengali by Moulana Ashraf Ali.

Moulana Saad, top leader of the Bishaw Amir Nezamuddin Markaz in Tabligh Jamaat, did not participate in the Ijtema this year due to the conflict. A delegation of 32 members from Delhi led by Moulana Shamim joined the Ijtema on his behalf.

At least one thousand participants from 36 countries including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arab, Qatar, Malaysia, Indonesia Philipines, Australia, USA and China participated in the Ijtema this year said Moulana Md Ashraf Ali, a senior member of the Saad faction.