The first phase of Biswa Ijtema will begin on January 31, 2025, Home Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam has said. “The first phase of Biswa Ijtema will be held on January 31, February 1 and 2, and the second phase will take place on February 7-9,” the adviser announced after a meeting with two factions of the Tabligh Jamaat at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi attended the meeting while representatives of Maulana Zubair Hasan were absent. Read: Second phase of Biswa Ijtema begins on banks of Turag The meeting discussed several issues including the ground preparedness, law and order, handover of the ground, providing visa to guests, overall safety of VVIPs, VIPs, traffic control, and setting up control rooms, water supply and sewerage system. Moreover, it discussed measures to prevent disasters and accidents, first aid for the devotees, management of temporary shops, eviction of slums and illegal establishments, monitoring of sale of hygienic food at Ijtema venue,  removal of obscene movie posters and measures to reduce traffic congestion on the day of Akheri Munajat. The decision on which of the groups will get the venue first has not been taken yet as the followers of Zubair refrained from attending the meeting. The Tabligh Jamaat has been hosting the Bishwa Ijtema at Tongi since 1967 and introduced the phase system in 2011 to better manage the growing number of participants.