Biswa Ijtema postponed

Secretariat Correspondent:  The Biswa Ijtema has been postponed due to the national election to be held on December 30.

It was decided at a meeting with two factions of Tablig Jamaat held at the Secretariat on Thursday  with Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in the chair.

As per decision, the Biswa Ijtema will not be held as per its schedule this year due to the national election.

However, no decision was taken about when the Biswa Ijtema would begin.

Home minister said it would not be possible to provide security for the Biswa Ijtema due to the 11th parliamentary elections.

He said the new date for the Ijtema would be decided after the election.

The minister said that the Tabligh leaders would meet at their Deoband headquarters in India to fix the new date.

Senior officials of the religious affairs ministry and the home ministry were present in the meeting, officials at the ministry said.

A member of Tabligh Jamaat’s Surah, seeking anonymity, said they told the meeting that they were ready to shift the date from January 18 if the election was deferred further.

The first phase of Biswa Ijtem was scheduled to be held from January 11-13 while the second one from January 18-20.

Tabligh Jamaat has been holding Bishwa Ijtema every year since 1946.

risingbd/Nov 16, 2018/Hasan/Mukul