FROM IJTEMA GROUND: Lakhs of people participated in the Akheri Munajat, final prayer, in the second phase of 49th Biswa Ijtema, the second largest religious congregation for Muslims around the globe, in Tongi, near Dhaka on Sunday.

The munajat, conducted by Maulana Zubayerul Hasan from Delhi, started before 10:00am and ended at 10:10am.

He prayed for peace and prosperity of Muslims around the globe as well as Bangladesh.

Thousands of people from around the country joined the Ijtema.

This year some 40,000 foreigners from around 155 countries joined the Ijtema.

Tongi Thana Officer-in-Charge Ismail Hossain told banglanews, “Some 12,000 law enforcers were deployed in the Ijtema ground to ensure security of the pilgrims.”

Besides, charitable dispensaries were opened in the Ijtema ground area to ensure medication of the devotees.

Nine devotees died in last 2-day

Nine devotees died due to cold related diseases and road accidents in Tongi Biswa Ijtema at Gazipur between Thursday night and Saturday night.

Of them, eight of the deceased were identified as Hedayet Ullah, 70 and Nure Alam, 65, hailed from Noakhali Sadar, Tozammel Sarkar, 72, hailed from Magura, Abdul Latif, 75 hailed from Comilla and Abdur Rob, 75, form Gopalganj, Mojibur Rahman, 50, hailed from Mirpur, Nur Mohammad, 70 from Noakhali and Sulaiman Ali, 65 from Naogaon.

Dowry free marriage of 151 couple  

Tablig Jamaat sources said that some 151 couple got married in a dowry-free wedding ceremony on the second day of the second phase of Ijtema with the presence of bride and guardians of bridegroom. They did not need to spend money.  

Jubayerul Hassan conducted the marriage ceremony after Asr prayers.

BDST: 1021 HRS, FEB 02, 2014