Muslim Global Congregation by Joy Saha

Public Story

Muslim Global Congregation

Copyright Joy Saha 2024

Updated Feb 2024

The Bishwa Ijtema (Global Congregation) is an annual gathering of Muslims in Tongi, by the banks of the River Turag, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Ijtema is considered a demonstration of Muslim unity, solidarity, mutual love, and respect and an opportunity to reiterate their commitment to Islamic values. It is the second largest congregation of the Muslim community after the pilgrimage to Mecca for the Hajj. The Ijtema is a prayer meeting spread over three days, during which attending devotees perform daily prayers while listening to scholars reciting and explaining verses from the Quran, the central religious text. Speakers include Islamic scholars from various countries. Muslim devotees pray in the middle of a busy road junction, causing traffic to come to a standstill, in Tongi, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the Jummah Prayer (Friday Prayer). Dedicated prayer grounds are not enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to Tongi, the main street of Dhaka. All ground transportation and pedestrian crossings are suspended during that time. It culminates in the Akheri Munajat (final prayer), in which millions of devotees raise their hands and pray to Allah for world peace. After the Final Prayer, they risk their lives and have to travel by overcrowded trains because of the unavailability of enough trains due to the huge number of devotees. With no seats available inside, many commuters decide to take the risk and choose a rooftop view for their journey out of Dhaka city. The Ijtema is non-political and draws people of all persuasions. It is attended by devotees from 150 countries.

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