The “global congregation,” also known as the “Bishwa Ijtema,” began in Tongi, outside of the capital city of Bangladesh, on Friday. It is regarded as the second-largest Muslim assembly in the world, after the hajj.
This year, five million devotees from both domestic and international locations are anticipated to attend the congregations.
Around 150 nations are expected to send representatives to the congregation in 2024, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Iran, India, Syria, Chad, Tajikistan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Oman, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Ethiopia, Myanmar, South Africa, Egypt, Palestine, Germany, France, Sudan, Nigeria, Italy, Turkiye, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US.
Approximately one thousand devotees from Pakistan are anticipated to attend the Bishwa Ijtema in Bangladesh this year, according to Mahbub, the deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh to Pakistan.
“The devotees have already received the required visas from our missions in Pakistan,” he said.
Two phases will comprise this year’s congregation: the first will take place from February 2 to 4 and the second from February 9 to 12.
“For the past 57 years, Bangladesh—the third-largest country in the world with a majority of Muslims—has been the proud and permanent host of the Ijtema (congregation),” Mambub stated.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of Bangladesh, declared that Bishwa Ijtema had been permanently granted 160 acres of land, despite the fact that the property is presently valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.
