Man dies during 2nd phase of ijtema

A man has died during the second phase of Biswa Ijtema, one of the largest religious gatherings for Muslims, on the bank of the Turag River in Dhaka's Tongi.

This was the first death during the second phase of the Ijtema, reports bdnews24.com.

Didar Tarafder died in the early hours of Friday, said Md Sayem, coordinator of the Nizamuddin (Saad) followers.

Didar, 55, was the son of Tayeb Ali Talukdar from Bangalgoli village in Khulna Sadar.

"Didar, a devotee participating at the Khitta No. 41 [dedicated for the Khulna district] started experiencing respiratory distress at 12:15am on Friday. He died on the way to the Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital in Tongi," said Md Sayem.

As many as seven people died in the two rounds of the first phase of the Biswa Ijtema.

The first phase began on Jan 31 and ended on Feb 5. The second phase will wrap up with the Akheri Munajat, or the final prayer service, on Feb 16.