The bank of the River Turag swarms with devotees on the second day of Bishwa Ijtema on Saturday. — Sanaul Haque

The Akheri Munajat or concluding prayer of the first phase of three-day Biswa Ijtema, the world’s second biggest congregation of Muslims, will be offered today some time before or after the Johr prayer.
Maulana Zubairul Hasan, son of former Ameer of Biswa Tablig Jamaat, is expected to lead the Akheri Munajat.
President Zillur Rahman, prime minister Sheikh Hasina, opposition leader Khaleda Zia, and foreign dignitaries are expected to join in the prayer session.
The second phase of Biswa Ijtema is scheduled to begin after a four-day break on January 18.
Meanwhile, another devotee died at the Ijtema venue Friday night, bringing the death toll to four since Thursday. The deceased, Shamsul Haque, 60, from Barachar village under Raipura upazila of Narsingdi, died of a cardiac arrest.
The Turag banks have already become a human sea, with thousands from different parts of the country still thronging the Ijtema ground defying the shivering cold.
According to the Ijtema control room, foreign pilgrims from more a hundred countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Australia, Malaysia, Brunei, USA, UK, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Singapore, Tanzania, and Cambodia have so far joined the religious congregation while more are expected to attend the final prayers.
The organisers expect the number of participants this year might reach at 4 million before the Akheri Munajat.
Saturday’s programmes began with Indian religious scholar Maulana Md Shawkat’s lectures after the Fazr prayers. Another Indian scholar, Maulana Miazi Azmat, is set to address the congregation after the Zohr prayers, followed by lectures to be delivered by Indian scholar Zobayerul Hasan after the Asr prayers and Ahmed Latt after the Magrib prayers.
Before the Asr prayers, Maulana Zobayrul Hasan tied the matrimonial knots between 140 couples at a traditional ceremony of the Tablig Jamaat.
Hospital sources said 49 devotees were admitted on Saturday to Tongi Hospital and 12 were sent to different hospitals in Dhaka.