Where millions of Bangladeshis go on horseback on trains and ships (6 photos + 1 video)

Why do millions of people flock to the outskirts of Dhaka for three days?





If you've ever seen those horrifying photos of crowded trains in Bangladesh, they don't travel like this every day. In fact, in this composition, local residents most often go to a very important event for them, which is held once a year - this is Bishwa Ijtima.

World Congress of Muslims

Bishwa Ijtima is one of the most important events in the life of Muslims in Bangladesh. It is held on the banks of the Turag River on the outskirts of Dhaka. This city is already considered one of the most densely populated on the planet, but during Bishwa Ijtima, real madness happens here. For three days people live in open-air tents, eat modest food, pray and listen to Muslim scholars interpret the Koran.



Ijtima, surprisingly, is not a centuries-old tradition: Muslims first gathered on the banks of the river in 1949. By the end of the 1990s, 2 million people had already made the pilgrimage, and since 2010, about 5 million believers come here every year. This event is larger in number than the Hajj, which attracts about 2-3 million people.





However, unlike the Hajj, mostly local residents go to Ijtima; about two percent of foreigners attend the congress. This event is considered a demonstration of Muslim unity, solidarity, mutual love and respect. Most often, in their prayers, believers ask for world peace.

They travel on ships, trains and walk

The Dhaka government is trying its best to support this event, but the lack of transport is still acute. So, people from all over the country come to ijtima, and they travel by train (sometimes literally on the roof), on ships and boats along the rivers, and come from Dhaka on foot.



In the camp, the authorities set up booths where medical workers sit, they also organize toilets on the river bank, and volunteers and military personnel keep order. It seems that after such a flow of people, the river and the outskirts of the city should turn into a dump, but no.



Pilgrims treat the city as a shrine, so they do not pollute the surrounding areas and do not litter; there is no unsanitary conditions here.



In general, so far the only problem with this event is the catastrophic lack of transport. However, given that the number of pilgrims has more than doubled in the first decade of the 21st century, this problem may never go away.