The three-day Biswa Ijtema (world gathering), considered the second largest congregation of Muslims after Hajj, began on Friday morning near Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.
The 39th Ijtema kicked off at Tongi area, some 20 km north of the capital, with formal speeches by Islamic scholars from home and abroad after Fajr prayers (Muslim's first prayer of the day).
According to the Daily Star newspaper, the speeches will be translated into Arabic, English, French and Spanish for speakers of other languages.
Hundreds of thousands of devotees including many Muslims from foreign countries have converged on the Ijtema ground on the eastern bank of the river Turag. There is hardly any space left under the huge canopy spreading over 160 acres of land, the report said.
Devotees started arriving on the ground since Wednesday morning for the annual congregation and the entire area turned into a sea of humanity.
Local devotees from far and wide of the country are streaming into the Ijtema ground, as buses, trains and all other modes of transport are carrying thousands of people wearing white punjabi ( Muslim's traditional suit for male) and white caps to Tongi.
Several thousand foreign delegates from over 40 countries have also reached the venue and are staying in a designated camp for them, while more foreign delegates are on the way, sources said.
Bangladesh Railway has introduced special train services for transporting devotees to Tongi from different areas. State-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation is also providing additional services for the Ijtema-goers.
Social and voluntary organizations have set up temporary medical camps to provide emergency medical services to the Ijtema participants.
Temporary shops and restaurants have been set up at different points around the ground and at Tongi town for the devotees.
The report from the daily Independent Friday said that tight security measures, including the deployment of some 1,000 Rapid Action Battalion forces, have been taken to avoid any untoward incident during the grand gathering. Police, army and local administration have set up their control rooms to ensure law and order.
Every year some two million Muslim disciples from home and abroad gather for this grand religious meeting in Bangladesh, the second largest Muslim country in terms of population. The gather of 2004 might exceed all previous records in terms of number, said the organizers.
Biswa Ijtema is expected to come to a close Sunday morning in a ceremony attended by Bangladeshi President Iajuddin Ahmed, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and other leaders of the government and the opposition parties.