World's 2nd-largest religious congregation begins in Bangladesh

By Md. Kamruzzaman

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AA) - The first phase of the three-day largest gathering of the world's biggest nonpolitical Muslims' platform, Tablighi Jamaat, kicked off near Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Friday.

This annual congregation is also recognized as the world's second-largest gathering of Muslims after the Hajj, the greatest yearly gathering of Muslim pilgrimages in the holy city of Mecca.

Hundreds of thousands of people from different corners of the country attended the function popularly called “Bishwa Ijtema (World Congregation)" on the bank of the River Turag on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Many from over a dozen countries including Türkiye, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Syria, Chad, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Palestine, the UK, and the US also attended the event.

Attending the general sermons (a’mbayan) in the early morning the devotees took part in the weekly Friday Jummah prayer together and offered special pleas to the Almighty Allah for peace and tranquility across the world.

“This is one of the greatest gatherings of world Muslims and we hope that Allah must hear our combined appeal. We have come here to purify us as well as for peace and stability across the world by the ceaseless mercy of Allah,” Mohammad Bellal, 40, one of the devotees coming from a remote area of the country's southern coastal district of Bhola, told the Anadolu.

The young Bellal wearing the local dress of Lungi and a yellow Punjabi was serving lunch items among some of the devotees while talking to the Anadolu. “It is a great opportunity for us to raise our hands together with a huge number of Muslims to Allah Who may pardon us for the sake of some of His favorite servants here.”

Almost with the same breath, another aged devotee of above 60 years old, Mohammad Rokib Ali, who came from the eastern border district of Sylhet, told the Turkish leading news agency that he had attended the gathering to seek Allah’s mercy.

“First I pray for myself and then for my family and the country so that we get a prosperous state without any crimes and irregularities,” he added.

Many youths were also seen attending the congregation and taking photos and filming the event with their smartphones. Speaking to the Anadolu, they said they want to learn Islam from a series of sermons to be delivered over the three days.

“We wish to spread Islamic lessons among thousands of youths across the country so that during their leadership over the nation in future they can run the state with justice and honesty,” a student at an Islamic seminary (Madrasha) in the country’s southern Feni district, Mohammad Fazle Elahi, 16, said.

Meanwhile, for the safety and security of the attendees, a huge number of law enforcers have been deployed at the Ijtema venue with dozens of monitoring towers and floating teams.

Tablighi Jamaat has been organizing this annual congregation in Bangladesh since 1967 and it has been held in two phases since 2011 to accommodate the large crowd.

The second phase of the Ijtema is scheduled to be held on Jan. 20- 22.