First hajj flight leaves Dhaka with 410 pilgrims

The first hajj flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia with 410 hajj pilgrims this morning.

The Boeing 777 aircraft took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 9:00am.

On Friday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the hajj programme.

Before seeing them off, State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali and State minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan inquired the pilgrims about the problems they faced at the airport.

Although the immigration formalities on the part of Saudi Arabia airport were supposed to be completed at the Dhaka airport, finally it did not take place, the pilgrims told the two junior ministers.

In reply, the state ministers said the respective officials from Saudi Arabia reached late in Dhaka and that's why they could start the immigration process today.

The immigration will start here from tomorrow, the state minister said.

According to the bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, a total of 57,585 Bangladeshis will be able to perform hajj this year likely to be held on July 8 subjected to the sighting of the moon.

Of the total pilgrims, 4000 will perform hajj under government hajj management while the rest will perform hajj under private hajj agencies.

According to Biman, the national airliner will carry 29,000 pilgrims by three Boeing 777 aircraft under its 130 dedicated flights with 65 round trips.

Saudia and Flynas will carry the rest of the total pilgrims.

In 2019, around 1.27 lakh Bangladeshis were allowed to perform hajj due to the global Covid pandemic. The largest annual Muslim congregation was held on a limited scale in the last two years.