TONGI: Thousands of devotees from home and abroad gathered on the banks of the Turag in Tongi to join the second phase of Biswa Ijtema, the largest congregation of Muslims after hajj.

The devotees from the 33 districts along with hundreds of foreign devotees joined the second phase which began on Friday through delivering Amboyan amidst ongoing blockade of the BNP-led alliance.

The districts are Narayanganj, Dhaka, Cox's Bazar, Manikganj, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Tangail, Jamalpur, Barisal, Netrakona, Comilla, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Mymensingh, Laxmipur, Brahmanbaria, Kurigram, Bogra, Panchagarh, Chapainawabganj, Nilphamari, Noakhali, Thakurgaon, Pabna, Naogaon, Munshiganj, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Satkhira, Kushtia, Magura, Sunamganj, Khulna and Moulvibazar, said organizers.

Earlier on January 11, the first phase of Bishwa Ijtema ended with ‘Akheri Munajat’ seeking spiritual blessing and welfare of the Muslim Ummah.

Indian Islamic scholar Mawlana Saad had conducted the Munajat.

BDST: 1025 HRS, JAN 16, 2015