Two more die during second phase of Biswa Ijtema
Gazipur Correspondent
Two more devotees have died from respiratory complications during the second phase of the Biswa Ijtema on the banks of the Turag River in Gazipur's Tongi.
They fell ill on Friday night and later passed away at the hospital, according to Md Sayem, coordinator of the Tablighi Jamaat’s Nizamuddin faction led by Indian preacher Saad Kandhlawi.
It brings the death toll in this round of the congregation to three.
The dead men have been identified as 75-year-old Nazmul Hossain from Bogura and 60-year-old Md Abdul Aziz Sheikh from Shariatpur.
Sayem said that Nazmul experienced breathing difficulties around 10:00pm, followed by Abdul Aziz at 10:30pm. They were rushed to Tongi’s Shaheed Ahsan Ullah Master General Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Earlier, 55-year-old Didar Tarafdar, another participant of the Ijtema's second phase, passed away on Thursday night.
As many as seven people died during the first phase of the congregation from Jan 31 to Feb 5.
The second phase of the Ijtema is scheduled to end on Feb 16 with the Akheri Munajat or final prayer service.
