Muslims flock to Bangladesh capital for religious festival

Jan 13, 2012, 15:39 GMT

Dhaka - Tens of thousands of Muslims from around the world congregated near the Bangladeshi capital Friday for a three-day religious festival of blessings.

The first phase of the World Congregation of Muslims, second only in the Muslim calendar to the Hajj pilgrimage, know locally as the Bishaw Ijtema, began with sermons by the Pakistani scholar Abdul Wahab.

The event is taking place at the bank of Turag River, some 30 kilometres north of the capital, Dhaka.

Pilgrims, dressed in traditional robes and prayer caps, streaned towards the gathering, braving overcrowded buses, trains and ferries, chilly winter weather and dense fog.

Organisers believe some 3 million people will attend the annual gathering, divided into three phases. This first phase concludes Monday, and the second phase begins on January 20.

Devotees from over 100 countries, including China, United States, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Britain have participated, they said.

President Zillur Rahman, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed and opposition leader Khaleda Zia in separate messages all praised the immense importance of the gathering for establishing peace, unity and solidarity among the Muslims across the globe.

The event has taken place at the river bank since 1976, with prayers, meditation and lectures from Islamic scholars.

The government deployed as many as 12,000 security personnel to ensure the pilgrims' safety.