‘World Muslims’ Congregation’ Bishwa Ijtema 2013 begins on Friday on the bank of the Turag River at Tongi. With myriad devotees from home and abroad thronging the bank of Turag, the first-phase of Biswa Ijtema, billed second-largest Muslim congregation after the holy Hajj, will begin Friday with religious sermons delivered by Islamic scholars.

Besides, a large number of people from the city and its adjacent areas will join Juma prayers on the sprawling Ijtema ground though the Ijtema get off to a formal start after Fazr prayers in the morning.

Breaking its decades-old tradition, this year for the third time the congregation is being held in two phases for the sake of smooth management and security arrangement for the mammoth Islamic congregation.

Local and foreign devotees from around the globe continued converging on the riverbank to join Ijtema for seeking divine blessings of Allah.

The second-phase of the Ijtema will begin on January 18.