Hajj immigration now to be done in Dhaka

Immigration of aspirant hajj pilgrims will be completed in Dhaka airport from now on, waiving the need to wait in long lines in Saudi Arabia.

State Minister for Religion Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah made the disclosure today at a press briefing at the ministry's conference room.

“Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims will be able to enter Saudi Arabia through a jet-bridge after landing at the airport without any immigration formality,” he said.

The state minister said a technical delegation from Saudi Arabia came to Bangladesh on March 21 to oversee the pre-arrival immigration system here. 

Another 14-member team, led by Saudi Arabia's Director General of Passports Maj Gen Sulaiman Al Yahya, came to Dhaka on Tuesday to discuss the issues with officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Hazrat Shahajal International Airport, immigration and custom departments, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Airlines.

Bangladeshi pilgrims will also have to complete a 10-finger biometric registration in line with Saudi immigration rules, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah added.

Earlier, pilgrims had to wait for hours at the airport after landing in Saudi Arabia to complete the immigration procedure causing immense sufferings of hajis.

Talking to The Daily Star, secretary to religious affairs ministry Anisur Rahman said: “After two years of efforts, the Saudi government finally agreed to complete the immigration process from Dhaka instead of Saudi Arabia.”

Only two countries -- Malaysia and Indonesia -- can now complete the immigration process of their pilgrims at their own airports, he said.

Bangladeshi pilgrims will be able to have their immigration procedures completed in Dhaka before departure within a minute which usually takes hours in Saudi, he said.

Around 1.27 lakh Bangladeshis are scheduled to perform hajj this year, which is likely to be held in August.

About 20 lakh people from across the world gather in Saudi Arabia to perform hajj each year. 

Talking to this correspondent, several people who had performed hajj in recent years, said it often takes hours to finish the immigration procedures at airports in Jeddah and Riyadh for Bangladeshi citizens during the rush hour of hajj.

They said it would be a great relief for Bangladeshi pilgrims if the government could convince the Saudi government to complete their immigration process in Dhaka.