DHAKA, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- With hundreds of thousands of devotees praying for welfare, the first phase of Biswa Ijtema, the second-largest annual Muslim congregation, concluded in Bangladesh on Sunday.

Akheri munajat, or the final prayer, began around 9:11 a.m. and continued till 9:35 a.m., seeking peace, welfare and prosperity of the country, its people and the Muslim Ummah.

To participate in the final prayer, devotees thronged the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway since early morning. The people of the neighborhood areas of Ijtema ground including Dhaka and Gazipur districts started to walk towards the Ijtema venue to attend the final prayer.

Devotees were seen walking the entire way of 10 km from Bhogra bypass to the Ijtema ground to participate in the munajat.

Along with males, hundreds of women also took part in the final prayer staying at different mill-factories and households adjacent to the ijtema ground.

The organizers have arranged loudspeakers several km away from the venue so that devotees could join the grand prayer. Traffic on many city roads and highways has been kept suspended for smooth holding of the congregation.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtema began on the banks of the Turag river at Tongi, some 25 km north of capital Dhaka, on Jan. 31.

During the congregation days, religious scholars delivered sermons on Islamic philosophy in the light of the holy Quran and Hadith.

To ensure safety, several thousand members of law enforcement agencies were deployed around the 60-hectare Ijtema ground, the main venue of the congregation.

The second phase of Biswa Ijtema is scheduled from Feb. 3 to 5, while the third phase will take place from Feb. 14 to 16. Enditem

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