Organisers hoped that about four million devotees from home and abroad would take part in the three-day congregation on the bank of river Turag in Tongi this year.

Some 2,500 uniformed police, along with a huge number plainclothesmen, will keep vigil in and around the Ijtema ground. Detective Branch of Police will also be active in the area.

Seven video cameras would be set up at different strategic points to keep surveillance on the Ijtema ground, official sources said.

They said police have started working in the area since December 6 and already held five meetings, including a coordination meeting with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Police Super Yasmin Gafur said the police administration has wide-ranging plans to maintain law and order in and around the Ijtema ground. Plainclothesmen have been deployed in each 'Khitta' while special security measures taken at the site earmarked for the foreign devotees, he added.

Metal detectors would also be used to check people at various points, the SP said.

The home minister, the state minister for home affairs and high police officials have already visited the Ijtema venue to see the different measures taken by the administration.

Meanwhile, devotees in large number have already started arriving at the Ijtema premises.

The visiting pilgrims, however, alleged that deployment of the Fire Services units was not at satisfactory level due to inadequate number of fire extinguishers. They demanded installation of fire extinguishers at each khitta. The entire canopy on the Ijtema venue has been divided into 24 khittas.

Air Vice-Marshal (retd) Sultan Mahmud, who attended a meeting on December 20, also demanded that the low lands at the Ijtema venue be filled up.

All departments concerned, including roads and highways, public works, information and power and health, have taken all preparations for smooth holding of the Ijtema.

The Information and Mass Communication Department will set up 200 loud speakers on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and the Tongi-Pubail road to enable the people to take part in the Akheri Munajat over a 12-km area.

This year, the number of toilets has been raised to 6,000. Besides, two special toilets have been kept reserved for the VIPs.

Although the organisers decided not to allow setting up of makeshift shops on the connecting roads to the Ijtema venue, over a hundred shops have already been set up on the southern side of Bata Shoe factory and the Station Road, creating traffic jam.

The organisers, however, allowed shops to be set up at Tongi Bazar and on the open field around Monnu Textile Mills, Sena Kalyan Bhaban and the western bank of Turag river.

District Civil Surgeon Dr AM Ruhul Amin said 15 medical teams and 10 sanitation teams started working in the Ijtema area and at Sadar Hospital from yesterday. Besides, additional 40 beds, one burn unit, one orthopedic unit and one cardiology unit have been arranged at Sadar Hospital.