Hundreds of thousands to millions of Muslims are predicted to gather on the banks of the Turag River, outside the capital of Bangladesh, Friday 21 January 2012, to attend Biswa Ijtima - the second largest gathering of Muslims in the world after the pilgrimage. In the event, Muslims together with various regular preachers called for peace and Islamic revival.
The Biswa Ijtima 'event is organized by the Jamaah Tablig organization and is usually attended by a sea of Muslims from various countries. They gathered in open spaces and tents around the Turag River.
Elite troops from the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and Bangladeshi plainclothes police will be deployed at the venue. Thousands of volunteers from Jamaah Tablig will also be on duty to ensure security.
The government is taking special steps to serve pilgrims by providing extra trains and buses for smooth travel.
Organizers said nearly 4 million Muslims from abroad were expected to attend Sunday.
The Biswa Ijtima event is in the form of prayer together and lectures from various scholars. The event was first held in 1960 in Tongi, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Banhladesh's capital, Dhaka. Pilgrims wear traditional Islamic robes and hats, prepare prayer mats under a canopy that stretches for more than a kilometer. Hundreds of thousands of people filled the open space available for the closing prayer.
Bangladesh is the fourth most populous Muslim country in the world, after Indonesia, India and Pakistan. Nearly 90 percent of the estimated 147 million inhabitants are Muslim. (Mel / Timesofummah.com / ddhongkong.org). *
