Hajj uncertain for 20,000 pilgrims

Despite depositing money with private hajj agencies, some 20,000 Bangladeshis are uncertain whether they would be able to perform Hajj in September as they missed the online registration deadline.

The agencies and the aspiring pilgrims demanded the government take measures to ensure they make the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. They have already staged several demonstrations in the city to press home the demand.

The Saudi authorities fixed a quota of 1,01,750 Bangladeshi pilgrims this year. Accordingly, the religious affairs ministry in Dhaka introduced an online registration system for them.

As many as 91,908 aspiring pilgrims registered online within the February deadline, but 1,11,012 people deposited money with the agencies concerned, according to the ministry.

Talking to The Daily Star, Religious Affairs Secretary Chowdhury Md Babul Hassan said, “Around 20,000 Bangladeshis have paid money for performing hajj this year, but the Saudi authorities would not allow them to pilgrimage to the Arab country as they didn't register in time.”

The ministry has already requested the Saudi authorities to consider granting visas to all the aspiring pilgrims, he added.

The parliamentary standing committee on the religious affairs ministry last week decided to talk to the Saudi authorities to settle this.

NO UMRAH VISA

The Saudi government in March stopped issuing umrah visas to Bangladeshis without giving any prior notice.

The decision came as some Bangladeshis reportedly didn't return home after performing the holy ritual, said sources. Some private hajj agencies were allegedly involved in smuggling people into Saudi Arabia using the umrah visa.

Mohammad Ibrahim Bahar, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, said the government should identify the errant agencies, if there was any, and bring them to book.

Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia are scheduled to start on August 16 and continue until September 18. Return flights are likely to start on September 27 and end on October 28.

Of the Bangladeshi pilgrims, 10,000 will perform hajj under government arrangement and the rest under private management, ministry officials said.

A pilgrim this year paid a minimum of Tk 2,96,206 for performing hajj.