At least two people were killed and dozens injured in clashes between rival groups of devotees over control of one of the world’s largest annual Muslim congregation sites near Dhaka, Bangladesh, police said on Wednesday.

The International Tabligh Jamaat organises the event to inspire Muslims to deepen their faith and return to the religious practices taught by Prophet Muhammad.

The clashes broke out early Wednesday when a group loyal to Bangladeshi scholar Moulana Jubaer Ahmed attempted to block supporters of Indian scholar Muhammad Saad Kandhalvi from entering the Ijtema grounds.

Officer Habib Iskander, citing witness accounts, said the rival groups – armed with sticks and brickbats – engaged in a violent confrontation that lasted more than 30 minutes before police intervened.

The clashes left at least two people dead and 40 injured, he added.

The division between the two factions has been a source of tension in recent years.

Supporters of Mr Jubaer Ahmed accuse Mr Saad Kandhalvi, the great-grandson of Tabligh Jamaat founder Muhammad Ilyas Kandhlawi, of misinterpreting Islamic teachings.

Every year, tens of thousands of Muslims from across the globe gather at the Ijtema grounds in Tongi, 30 kilometres north of Dhaka, to participate in what is considered the world’s third-largest annual Muslim congregation following the Hajj in Saudi Arabia and the Arbaeen pilgrimage in Iraq.

The annual event, which generally avoids political discussions, has featured prayers, meditation, and lectures by Islamic scholars since 1976.

The three-day first phase of the congregation, known as Biswa Ijtema, is scheduled to take place from January 31 to February 2, to be followed by the second phase from February 7 to 9.

(dpa/NAN)