M M Jasim :The second phase of the Bishwa Ijtema begins today (Friday) despite BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s call to continue non-stop blockade.The three-day long Ijtema will begin on the bank of the River Turag at Tongi in Gazipur and will continue till Sunday noon.The devotees from 32 districts will attend the second phase. The government has taken foolproof security in and around the Ijtema by deploying Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and plainclothes law enforcers. Thousands of devotees have already assembled for Bishwa Ijtema. A good number of the devotees have already despite transport crisis in the wake of the blockade programme. “A devotee Abbas Uddin, 59, said that their bus came under attack of picketers at Comilla on Wednesday. There were 30 devotees in the bus, who were all from Noakhali. This year the number of foreign devotees is likely to go up, said Giyas Uddin, one of the organisers.As many as 17,000 devotees from abroad attended the Ijtema last year, he added. Additional Secretary of Home Ministry Mostofa Kamal Uddin earlier said that the people from Ebola-affected countries have been advised to produce clearance certificates before coming to the Ijtema.They will be regained to obtain one certificate from their respective countries and the other from the Tabligh Jamaat before applying for visa, he added.He further said they had opened a reception centre at the airports in Bangladesh for issuing on-arrival visas for the devotees.Apart from the airports, committees had been formed and stationed at different land ports to issue on-arrival visas after proper examination, he added.Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Harun-ur-Rashid said a five-tire security system had been arranged for the Ijtema. Law enforcers would also patrol the Ijtema venue. Plainclothes police will also remain alert, he added.Commanding Officer of RAB Lt Col Tuhin Mohammad Masud said the elite force would also remain alert to ensure security at the Ijtema.He said they would monitor the Ijtema through CCTV, watchtower, mobile courts, detectives, helicopter patrol and river patrol. Different organisations would offer free medical services for devotees in case of emergencies. Three teams from Gazipur Civil Surgeon’s office will work round the clock and 14 ambulances will also work to ensure healthcare.Work was going on to set up seven floating bridges by today to cross the Turag River.Executive Engineer of Gazipur City Corporation Mujibur Rahman Kajol said they had taken different initiatives to supply pure drinking water and arranged 4,000 public toilets at the venue. Executive Engineer of Desco Tongi (East) Monzurul Hasan said they would set up five makeshift power camps to ensure electricity supply, adding that a team of 200 personnel would work round the clock to that end.
