Mass Islamic prayer concludes in Bangladesh

More than 3 million Muslim devotees raised cupped hands and sought divine blessings for peace and prosperity at a mass gathering on Sunday, regarded as Islam's second-largest event after the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The massive crowd of clerics, scholars, foreign visitors and Bangladeshis took part in the Biswa Ijtema, or the World Congregation of Islamic Preachers.

The event has been held annually since 1966 on the banks of the Turag River in Tongi, an industrial town near the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka.

Sitting in cars, buses, boats, trains and rooftops of homes and factories, the pilgrims listened to sermons and recitations from the Quran, Islam's holy book and observed a noon prayer, conducted in Arabic by an Indian cleric.

Television cameras were not allowed, but proceedings blared from loudspeakers hung from trees and electric poles in a six-kilometer (four-mile) radius.

Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina joined Sunday's massive congregation.

The proceedings were peaceful despite the size of the crowd.

Security was tight following bombing attacks at four theaters last week that killed 19 people and wounded 200 others in northern Bangladesh. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Hundreds of tents were erected on nearly 65 hectares (160 acres) of land to shelter devotees.

Temporary water pumps and toilets were installed and extra beds allocated at the local hospital as a precaution. At least two elderly men died of natural causes and dozens of others were afflicted with diarrhea during the gathering, hospital sources said.

The gathering, which is sponsored by Tablig Jamaat, an organization of Muslim preachers based in New Delhi, India, is dedicated to teaching the tenets of Islam and promotes peace and harmony, but shuns politics.

"Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood," said Akmal Hossain, one of the organizers. "We intend to spread this message."

"Islam teaches us to shun luxury," said Modabber Ali, a farmer who came from northern Bangladesh.

The devotees cooked and ate together — mostly simple food like rice and lentils — bathed or performed ablutions in the river and slept on jute mats on the ground.

Clerics also performed simple marriage ceremonies for 20 poor couples.

Tablig Jamaat's followers, including academics, religious leaders and farmers, take weeks off from work each year and travel to various cities and villages to preach Islam.

This year, more than 10,000 devotees listed their names with the organizers to undertake such trips.