More than 3 million Muslims raised cupped hands and sought divine blessings for peace and prosperity at an annual celebration that has been a religious tradition here for decades.
Called Biswa Ijtema, or the World Congregation of Islamic Preachers, the gathering has been held 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 on the rooftops of homes and factories, the pilgrims listened to sermons and recitations from the Quran and observed a noon prayer. The proceedings blared from loudspeakers hanging from trees and electric poles in a four-mile radius.
Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and opposition leader Sheikh Hasina joined Sunday's massive gathering.
The event is sponsored by Tablig Jamaat, an organization of Muslim preachers based in New Delhi, India, and is dedicated to teaching the tenets of Islam.
``Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood,'' said Akmal Hossain, one of the organizers. ``We intend to spread this message.''