At taxpayers’ expense!

A total of 254 people are going to perform hajj this year at government expense.

According to sources, the government will have to spend around Tk 11.33 crore from the public exchequer to meet the expenses.

Because of religious considerations, the government gives this opportunity to people of different levels every year. But people belonging to the ruling party or those close to the state minister for religious affairs are being given the priority, sources, involved in preparing the list, told The Daily Star.

At least 33 people from Jamalpur-2, electoral constituency of the state minister, Faridul Haque Khan, are in the list.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Religious Affairs released the list of pilgrims who are performing hajj at government expense They are under the government's hajj package-2.

However, as per instruction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, this year, the selected persons will have to pay Tk 1,40,000 as airfare, a ministry official told this correspondent. According to the ministry's circular, everyone performing hajj at the expense of the government will have to pay and submit a pay-order of Tk 1,40,000 for airfare.

Failure to submit the pay-order will result in suspension of their visa process. Their potential flight will be operated from July 7.

The government officials and employees who are on the list will receive their salaries and allowances in the local currency from their respective workplaces during their stay in Saudi Arabia.

Reviewing the list, it was seen that at least 150 people are leaders and activists of Awami League, its like-minded parties, or family members of the activists.

The ministry on May 11 announced two categories of hajj packages (1 and 2). The packages depend on the distance between the pilgrims' hotels and Masjid al-Haram.

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

Of the total pilgrims, 4,000 will perform hajj under government management and the rest under private agencies.

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