Allegations of human trafficking in the name of Umrah from Bangladesh

The government has brought allegations of human trafficking in the name of Umrah against 104 Hajj agents including the president of the private Hajj agencies association.

The religious affairs ministry on Sunday formed a five-member probe committee headed by Additional Secretary Shahiduzzaman to investigate the allegations.

The Hajj agents allegedly trafficked 11,485 Bangladeshis in the name of Umrah last year, Religious Affairs Secretary Chowdhury Md Babul Hassan told The Daily Star on Sunday.

“Allegations of human trafficking are brought against the agencies based on initial information from the Bangladesh embassy and Hajj mission in Saudi Arabia. Now the committee will investigate the allegations,” he added.

Asked about the allegation against the president of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab), the secretary said names of some other leaders of the association have also surfaced.

“We will take proper action based on the committee's report. No one will be spared,” he said, adding that the actions would include cancellation of their licences and monetary fine.

The Saudi government stopped issuing Umrah visas to the Bangladeshis on the allegation of smuggling of migrants into the Arab country since last March.

The decision is taking a heavy toll on the earnings of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The national flag carrier has already decreased its weekly seven flights on Dhaka-Jeddah-Dhaka route to five since last week of April following a decline in the number f passengers. Last year, around 51,321 Bangladeshis performed Umrah and most of them travelled by Biman.

The Bangladesh Hajj Mission in Jeddah had already requested the religious affairs ministry to take back the illegal migrants as the Saudi authorities said they would not issue Umrah visas until the Bangladeshis were repatriated, ministry sources said.

Mohammad Ibrahim Bahar of Haab said a 'vested quarter' is influencing the ministry, which has brought the allegation of trafficking against his own agency Mega Travels.

“I welcome the government's move to investigate the matter. I will accept the punishment according to the law if the committee finds me guilty,” he told The Daily Star yesterday.

His agency had sent 131 pilgrims for Umrah and of them, 116 returned as of July, Bahar claimed.

The Saudi agencies also remain involved in Umrah processing with the Bangladeshi ones. So, the Saudi government should first punish their agencies as it is their duty to send back all the Bangladeshis after Umrah, he claimed.