Bishwa Ijtema 2027 to unfold in two phases in January

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has confirmed that the 2027 Bishwa Ijtema will be staged across two separate phases in January, with the inaugural leg running from January 8 to 10 and the concluding leg from January 15 to 17, following extensive consultations with representatives of the two rival factions of the Tablighi Jamaat.

Briefing reporters at the Secretariat in Dhaka on Thursday, the minister outlined that adherents of the Zubair faction would convene during the first phase, whereas followers loyal to the Saad camp would assemble for the second. He further indicated that any prospective visit by Maulana Saad to Bangladesh would be adjudicated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, strictly in accordance with prevailing visa regulations, thereby sidestepping any suggestion of preferential treatment.

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As has been customary, the sprawling congregation will unfold on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi, Gazipur, a site that has hosted the event for decades and become synonymous with it. By preserving the bifurcated format, the authorities appear intent on placating both factions simultaneously, a delicate balancing act that has defined the Ijtema's organisation in recent years. Officials evidently hope that this arrangement will allow the gathering, one of the largest of its kind in the Muslim world, to proceed without disruption or discord.