Ijtema to be held in February: Home Minister

Publish: 12:20 PM, January 23, 2019 | Update: 12:20 PM, January 23, 2019

DHAKA  – Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal today said the Biswa Ijtema will be held in February.

“We’ve decided that the Ijtema will be held peacefully in February,” he told reporters after a meeting with two factions of Tabligh Jamaat at his secretariat conference room here.

Kamal said the meeting of the two factions of Tabligh Jamaat decided that the Biswa Ijtema will be held in Tongi in February and the two factions jointly will organise the second largest congregation of the Muslims after Hajj.

“The date will be fixed in a meeting with State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and senior Tabligh members,” he added. Replying a question, the home minister said a decision was made that Maulana Saad of India would not join Ijtema this time.

Two factions of the Tabligh Jamaat – one led by Maulana Wasekh and other by Moulana Zubair – were present at the meeting, he said.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said Ijtema will be held once in a year and jointly. “No separate Ijtema will be held,” he added.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Secretary of Public Security Division (Home Ministry) Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr M Javed Patwary and Director General (DG) of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Benazir Ahmed were, among others, present at the meeting.