The government has formulated a draft Hajj policy which would be placed at the next cabinet meeting.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Mosharef Hossain Shahjahan yesterday said this while presiding over a meeting at the ministry to finalise the Hajj policy for five years to be effected from 2006.

The meeting was told that 60,000 pilgrims would be sent to perform Hajj this year under public and private management.

Mahmudur Rahman said the Ministry of Civil Aviation has proposed 1,307.65 US dollar for each for airfare. Last year it was 950 US dollar. The airfare would be increased due to price hike in jet fuel. But the decision about raising of the airfare was not finalised at the meeting.

The meeting decided to finalise it after evaluation of the Hajj airfare of the neighbouring countries and what measures they have taken for transportation of the Hajj pilgrims.

It was also apprised that green (A) and blue (B) will be used as the residential category in Makkah instead of A and B as it was followed in the past.

This year house rent at the green category has been fixed at 2,800 Saudi riyal and 1,800 Saudi riyal for the blue category. The distance of the residences from the Herem Sharif will be 800 and 1,300 meters respectively. The private pilgrim operators also have been directed to rent houses in the same district.

In the green category, the possible total cost of a Hajj pilgrim has been fixed at Tk 1,48,553 and in the green category Tk 1,31,553. The time limit for submitting a Hajj application is September 6 under the government management while September 20 under the private. The time limit may be extended for one month if necessary, the meeting said.

Religious Affairs Secretary M Rafiqul Islam and high officials of Ministry of Health, Foreign Affairs and Civil Aviation and Tourism, acting Managing Director of Bangladesh Biman Mahmudur Rahman, President of Hajj Association of Bangladesh (HAB) M Abdus Shakur, Sonali Bank officials and Hajj officials attended the meeting.