Hajj pilgrims stage demo protesting agencies’ ‘fraudulence’
A number of hajj pilgrims today staged demonstration in Dhaka protesting “fraudulence and mismanagement” of hajj agencies.
Over 90 pilgrims gathered at Ashkona Hajj Camp around 2:30pm demanding punishment of the responsible hajj agencies as the agencies failed to provide air tickets to them.
Many of the agitators alleged that they gave money to ‘Madina Hajj Agency’ to ensure their journey to Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj ritual but the agency is yet to provide them with the air tickets creating uncertainty over their journey.
They said they already have got their passports and visas except the air tickets.
Meanwhile, the parliamentary standing committee on religious affairs has filed a general diary with Biman Bandar Police Station against seven hajj agencies as they failed to send many pilgrims yet, Bazlul Haque Harun, the chairman of the committee said.
If the concerned agencies fail to send the intending hajjis within two days, they will sue the agencies, he told The Daily Star.
Biman to operate 8 additional hajj flights till Aug 28
Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate eight additional hajj flights in a bid to send the hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia who could not depart earlier due to flight cancellations.
“As a number of aspirant hajjis are yet to fly to Makkah, the Civil Aviation Authority of Saudi Arabia has given permission to Biman to operate eight more hajj flights after it sought permission in this end,” he said.
The flights will operate on August 27 and 28 respectively paving the way for the trips of all intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Sending all pilgrims to Saudi Arabia became very much uncertain due to frequent cancellations of hajj flights of Biman due to shortage of pilgrims.
The national flag carrier was forced to cancel 24 hajj flights through which around 11,000 pilgrims could have been sent to Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi government set a quota of 1,27,198 people for Bangladesh for sending them to perform the annual ritual of Muslims this year.
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