Influx of devotees continues on second day of Bishwa Ijtema in Tongi

Organisers expect another wave of arrivals before the first phase of the gathering wraps up with the final prayer on Sunday

The banks of the Turag River in Tongi teemed with Muslim devotees on Thursday, a day before the start of the Bishwa Ijtema's first phase. The influx continued into the second day of the event, one of the world's largest Muslim gatherings, on Saturday.

Organisers expect another wave of arrivals before the first leg of the event wraps up with the final prayer on Sunday.

The first sermon of the day was delivered by Maulana Abdur Rahman from India, with Bangladesh's Maulana Abdul Matin providing the Bangla translation.

The other notable speakers scheduled to address the gathering are Maulana Ismail Godhra, Maulana Zuhairul Hasan, and Maulana Ibrahim Dewla.

Additionally, the Ijtema grounds will host dowry-free weddings after Asr prayers.

The morning's sermon emphasised the importance of dedicating one’s life to spreading the faith for eternal contentment and success, highlighting the virtue of perseverance in faith and deeds.

Although the main sermons are in Urdu, they are instantly translated into multiple languages such as Bangla, English, Arabic, Tamil, Malay, Turkish, and French to cater to the diverse backgrounds of the attendees.

Despite enduring challenges like dust, dirt, rain and the cold, devotees have remained engrossed in the scholars' speeches throughout the event.