The Biswa Ijtema, billed as the second largest congregation of Muslims after the Hajj, will be held in two phases- February 2 to 4 and February 9 to 11 - this year. Ahead of this, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) have jointly issued a traffic and car parking management directive to ease the pressure on the traffic system. The measures will be in effect for each of the three days in both phases.  A media release, issued from police headquarters on Wednesday morning, sought all-out cooperation to maintain order in traffic, avoid traffic jams and facilitate the movement of pilgrims. Parking Instructions Police declared a no-parking zone on the roads and its nearby areas from the Khilkhet-Abdullahpr-Dhaur bridge. Fixed Parking Zones Police fixed some points for parking of vehicles for the Muslim devotees who will attend the Ijtema. Dhaka Metropolitan Parking: Open spaces of Swadesh Property adjacent to 300 feet Road. Read: No threat of militant attack centering Biswa Ijtema: RAB DG Divisional Parking inside DMP areas: Dhaka and Chittagong Division Parking: Kadam Ali Market under Sector No. 15, Bridge No. 5 and Uludah Field in Sector No. 17. Sylhet and Khulna Division Parking:  Lakepar ground of Uttara Sector-15. Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh Division: West side of the lake of bridges 10 and 11, inside Sector No. 16 and Boubazar ground. Divisional Parking inside GMP areas: Mymensingh Division Parking: Chandana High School, Chowrasta, Gazipur. Vehicles coming from North Bengal and Tangail will park at  Bhawal Badre Alam College and Pubail University College. Government Vehicles: Telephone Industry Organization (TESIS) and Tongi Government College Ground. The drivers and helpers of the parked vehicles must stay with their vehicles. The devotees and the driver will keep each other's mobile numbers, so that they can communicate with each other in any emergency. The driver's mobile number must be visible in front of the vehicle. Read: Bangladesh Police set guidelines for Ijtema Diversion points only for the days of Akheri Munajat (concluding prayers) Feb 4 and Feb 11 Dhaur Bridge, Sector No. 18 Panchabati Crossing, Padma Loop, Sector No. 12 Khalpar, Mohakhali Crossing, Hotel Radisson Blu Crossing, Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway (World Road Nikunj-1 Katchi Gate), Kuratali Flyover Loop-2, Mohakhali Flyover West Side, Mirpur Diabari Bus Stand Crossing, Ashulia Bazar Crossing. Kamarpara Road from Mannu Gate will be shut from the starting day of Ijtema for both phases. Traffic movement will remain shut on the two-way road from Bhogra Bypass from Abdullahpur and from Mirer Bazar to Station Road from 10 pm on February 3 to 2 pm on Feb 4 and from 10 pm on February 10 to 2pm on Feb 11. Vehicles carrying VVIPs/VIPs/Foreign devotees participating in Bishwa Ijtema have been advised to use Tongi Flyover from BNS Tower and get off at Station Road and use Mannu Gate Kamarpara Road. All inter-district vehicles including buses, covered vans and other heavy vehicles will avoid the Abdullahpur, Dhaur Bridge intersection and move via Mohakhali-Bijaysarani-Gabatli from 4:00 am on Akheri Munajat day. Read: Drones, CCTV monitoring to ensure security at Bishwa Ijtema: Home Minister Transportation services will be provided for foreigners from Padma Loop and Kuratali Loop-2 to the airport under the management of Traffic Uttara Division on the day of Akheri Monajat. It is also requested to avoid Kawla/Airport exit of Dhaka Elevated Expressway on the day of Akheri Monajat. For any queries on traffic management, commuters have been asked to contact the below numbers. Dhaka Metropolitan Police: Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-North)- 01320-043940, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic-North)- 01320-043941, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic-North East Zone)- 01320-043952, Assistant Police Commissioner (Traffic-North West Zone)- 01320-043955, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic-Airport Zone)- 01320-043958, Inspector of Police (Administration)- 01320-043973, TI (Abdullahpur)- 01320-043968, TI (Kamar Para) )- 01320-043971, TI (Dhaur Bridge)- 01320-043970, TI (Airport)- 01320-043962, Traffic Control Room- 01711-000990. Gazipur Metropolitan Police: Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic)- 01320-070991, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic-North)- 01320-071004, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic-South)- 01320-071277, Inspector of Police (City & Traffic) (Station Road)- 01320-071291, Ijtema Control Room (Hotline)- 01320-072999, Control Room, GMP- 01320-072998, Traffic Control Room- 01320-071298. Read more: Ekushey Boi Mela 2024: What security measures are in place?

As done during the first phase of Bishwa Ijtema, Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) has issued some traffic directives to ease devotees commuting to and from the congregation ground. Movements of vehicles from Tongi to Bhogra Bypass on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, Kamarpara Road, Abdullahpur to Bypile on Ashulia Road will remain suspended from 6 am Sunday (January 22, 2023) till the end of Akheri Munajat, said GMP Commissioner Mollah Nazrul Islam. Also read: 22km long tailback from Tongi to Moghbazar in Dhaka The GMP commissioner requested commuters to use the bypass road to avoid traffic gridlock. The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema started on Friday (January 20, 2023) morning and it will end through the Akheri Munajat on Sunday morning. Read More: Second phase of Bishwa Ijtema to end tomorrow

Gazipur Metropolitan Police (GMP) has issued some directives regarding traffic movement to reduce suffering of Biswa Ijtema devotees. Movements of vehicles on some roads in Gazipur will remain suspended for around six hours due to the ongoing Biswa Ijtema. GMP Commissioner Mollah Nazrul Islam disclosed this in a  press briefing at police control room set up at the Ijtema venue saying that the traffic movement has been rearranged as devotees from remote areas of the country will join the Akheri Munajat (final prayers) on Sunday morning. As part of the rationalized traffic system, movement of vehicles will remain suspended from 12am on Saturday till the Akheri Munajat (Sunday morning) from Tongi to Bhogra Bypass on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, Khamarpara road, Abdullahpur to Bypile on Ashulia road, he said. Read more: Commuters asked to avoid airport road for BRT work till Saturday midnight The GMP commissioner requested people to use the bypass road to avoid traffic gridlock. The first phase of Biswa Ijtema started on Friday morning and it will end through the Akheri Munajat on Sunday morning.

A four-member committee has been formed to probe the gas balloon blast incident at Gazipur Metropolitan Police’s (GMP) founding anniversary event that left five people, including comedian Abu Hena Rony, injured on Friday. The committee members are—Abu Torab Md Shamsur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC, North) of GMP, Redoan Ahmed, Assistant Deputy Commissioner (ADC, North) of GMP, Md Fahim Ashjad, Assitant Commissioner (AC, Prosecution) of GMP and Md Rafiqul Islam, Officer In-charge (OC) of Gazipur Sadar Police Station. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days. Injured Rony is currently undergoing treatment at  the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Sheikh Hasina Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery as his trachea and an ear have been severely burnt in the blast. Among the other four injured, one Jillur Rahman is also fighting for his life at the ICU with 19 percent burn injury. Read: Two sustain burn injuries in Gazipur Md Abu Sayem Noyon, Assistant Commissioner (AC, Media) of GMP said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan had attended GMP’s founding anniversary event as the chief guest. Some balloons were given to him for flying which he couldn’t do after much effort.   “The blast happened when some people took the balloons to one side and tried to fly them using fire, injuring five people including Rony on the spot. The injured were rushed to Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital, from where three including Rony were transferred to Sheikh Hasina Burn Institute for better treatment,” he said. 

Seven escapees from a Gazipur safe home were found at the Jaidebpur railway station and sent back. Fourteen female residents of a government safe home for children and adolescents in Gazipur escaped on Wednesday. With an immediate operation Gazipur Metropolitan Police were able to find 7 of them overnight. Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Md. Saidul Islam, senior officials of Gazipur district administration and department of women affairs visited the safe home complex after the incident. A five-member inquiry committee headed by Director General of the Department of Women's Affairs Monowara Ishrat has been formed to find out whether there was any negligence on the part of the authorities that allowed the 14 teenagers to flee. According to local sources, the residents were upset over the rude and abusive behavior of an employee named 'Mollah' in charge of the center. They were also dissatisfied with the quality of food. On Wednesday night, the window grill of the two-storey building of the center was broken and 14 residents fled one by one by making a passage with bed structure from the roof to the boundary wall, said Deputy Commissioner SM Tariqul Islam after inspecting the home. The organization lacked sufficient manpower and security personnel. The caretaker himself is not always present, according to Toriqul. He added that since girls reside in the institution, there is a need for female Ansar members on every floor of the home to provide security. Toriqul also said that he would send a recommendation to the ministry as he felt the need to increase the financial allocation for food of the residents. There are a total of 34 resident at this home.

Police on Tuesday recovered bodies of a couple and their two-month-old daughter from Sonalipolli of Kashimpur in Gazipur city.

A woman has allegedly been raped by a man after promising her to provide a job at Rawshan Road in the city on Saturday.