A 22,000-strong force from police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Bangladesh Rifles, Armed Police Battalion and ansar will be deployed during the three-day congregation.

Besides checking devotees at five points, there will be patrolling on the roads and waterway and choppers will hover to ward off any subversive activities.

"We're going to take extra security measures for obvious reasons," State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar told reporters yesterday. He however did not detail the reasons as he came out of a meeting on law and order during Bishwa Ijtema.

Every individual will have to go through checking at five points before entering the Khitta (a block on the Ijtema ground). There will be as many as 24 such blocks on the ground.

"There will be a normal checking at the outer periphery of the ground, checking at different checkpoints, random checking on the road to a Khitta and double checking by police and Rab at entrances to Khittas," a Rab officer involved in Ijtema security told The Daily Star.

Besides installing 54 closed-circuit television cameras at different points, law enforcers will use 20 video cameras to record people's movement.

Bomb disposal units from the army and Rab will work during the three days and 24 mobile courts will operate there.

Rab men will keep keen watch in and around the area with two helicopters and set up observation towers and control room to monitor law and order.

They will also use patrol boats and stop movement of any suspected individuals or boats in the Turag.

To ease traffic congestion in the city, devotees from Barisal, Khulna, Chandpur and other regions, who previously used to board buses at Sadarghat, will be taken by trawlers. The Ashulia Landing Station will be launched for them before the Ijtema begins.

The Progati Sarani-Ashulia-Baypail Road will remain off-limits to public vehicles for 24 fours since January 28 evening. The BRTC will provide 315 shuttle buses for commuters on the road during the 24 hours.

"There will be 18 parking lots for vehicles and no vehicles will be allowed to park outside the parking space," Babar said.

The Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway will be kept clear and wreckers will tow the vehicles parked outside the parking lot, he added.

Medical teams and advance teams of firefighters will remain stationed at different points so that they can rush to any point in case of emergencies.

The Ijtema organisers have been instructed not to set up any loud speaker on the road or outside the ground.

Highway police and other forces will be on hand to hunt down petty criminals like muggers and Criminal Investigation Department personnel will look for pickpockets.

The immigration desk at Zia International Airport has been directed for quick disposal of foreign devotees, who will use vehicles with special stickers to attend the Ijtema.