Hajj pilgrims to enjoy train service from Haram Sharif

Saudi Ambassador in Dhaka Abdullah Al Bussairy yesterday said the kingdom has increased huge facilities, including expansion of Haram Sharif in Makkah and introduction of train service, to facilitate the pilgrims to perform hajj smoothly and more comfortably.
King Abdullah by himself is taking care of the activities so that the guests of Allah do not face inconveniences in performing hajj, he said, addressing a press conference at his residence in the city's Gulshan.
The envoy said the Saudi government had undertaken a project of 80 billion Saudi Riyals for expanding Haram Sharif, the grand mosque that can accommodate up to four million Muslim worshipers during the hajj period.
He said the project also included the construction of a 12-storey bridge at the place from where pilgrims throw pebbles at "shaitan" in Meena.
Bussairy said the train service has been introduced to carry the pilgrims to different places from Haram Sharif. About half a million pilgrims will be able to avail the train facility this year, he added.
He also said a giant clock has been installed in Makkah, which could be seen from eight kilometres away.
The Saudi ambassador said about one lakh Bangladeshis will perform hajj this year and all of them will be granted visas. "So far we have issued 58,000 visas and the remaining hajj pilgrims would get their visas in time".
He added that already 35,000 hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh have arrived in Saudi Arabia.
Replying to a question, Bussairy said the embassy previously received a black list of 33 Bangladeshi Hajj Agencies from the religious affairs ministry of Bangladesh, but later the ministry cleared the entire list. "We have yet not received any allegation from the religious affairs ministry".
The ambassador said the Saudi government with the direct initiative of King Abdullah has also taken up a new project to strengthen relationship and cordiality among the Muslims under the Saudi Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Saudi King Abdullah has been inviting special guests from different countries of the world on the eve of holy hajj. This year some 1,200 personalities have been invited as the Saudi King's special guests to perform hajj.
From Bangladesh, the ambassador said, about 60 eminent personalities, the vice-chancellors of universities, leading Islamic scholars, and political leaders were invited.
In the last 15 years, some 165,000 special guests had performed the holy hajj at the invitation of the Saudi King, he added.