The second phase of Bishwa Ijtema concluded today through "Akheri Munajat" seeking divine blessings for peace and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah.

The final prayer was conducted by Maulana Zubair, top spiritual leader of Shura-e-Nizam, Bangladesh.

The prayer began at 12:10pm and ended around 12:25pm.

Earlier, after Fajr prayers, Farooq Sahib, a senior Tabligh leader from Bangalore, India, delivered a sermon which was translated by Mufti Amanul Haque Sahib.

Around 10:00am, Maulana Abdur Rahman Sahib of India gave another sermon, translated by Maulana Abdul Matin Sahib of Bangladesh.

The first phase of the six-day Ijtema ended on February 2, while the second phase commenced on February 3.

The third phase of the Bishwa Ijtema, for followers of Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, is scheduled to take place from February 14-16.

The home ministry notification yesterday imposed two conditions upon the faction -- they will not be allowed to arrange Ijtema or participate in any Tabligh activities at the Tongi ground from next year.

The Saad followers have raised concerns over next year's Ijtema venue.

Maulana Abu Sayem, coordinator of the Saad followers' media team, told The Daily Star that they received a notification yesterday stating that they will not be allowed to hold the Ijtema at the current venue in Tongi next year.

"We received this information at the last minute. For now, we do not want to comment further. We will complete this year's Ijtema first and then discuss the matter with the government," he said.

Meanwhile, two more devotees attending the Bishwa Ijtema passed away at the Ijtema venue early today, bringing the total death toll to nine across both phases of the gathering.

The deceased have been identified as, Sujabat Ali Sarkar, 75 and Md Shamsul Alam, 60.

Habibullah Raihan, media coordinator of Shurai Nezam, Tabligh Jamaat Bangladesh, confirmed the information to The Daily Star.