Haab for 3rd carrier for Hajj pilgrims

Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) on Tuesday demanded a third carrier apart from Biman Bangladesh Limited and Saudi Arabian Airlines for smooth flying of Hajj pilgrims this year.

It also demanded reinstatement of the previous rule that allows a Hajj agency to send minimum 50 and maximum 400 pilgrims in a year, said Haab President Mohammad Ibrahim Bahar while addressing a press conference at Jatiya Press Club.

The Haab threatened to enforce a tougher programme if the government does not meet the demands by June 10, the last date of hajj registration.

"If the third carrier is not introduced, the pilgrims will go through the same uncertainty they faced last year," Ibrahim Bahar said.

The pilgrim had to suffer a lot last year due to mismanagements of Bangladesh Biman and Saudi Airlines, the Haab president claimed.

A total of 1.27 lakh pilgrims will go for this year's hajj and the government said Biman will carry the 50 percent of the pilgrim while and Saudi Arabian Airlines the rest.

But Saudi Arabia Airlines can carry maximum 40,000 passengers in a Hajj season, he said.

So, there will be a flight crisis if the government does not engage a third airline to carry the pilgrims this year, he added.

Each Hajj agency is entitled to send minimum 50 and maximum 400 pilgrims for Hajj a year.

But the government this year fixed 150 pilgrims as minimum figure for an agency.

Haab demanded reinstatement for the previous rule as some of the agencies will not be able to manage 150 pilgrims and incur a huge loss, Bahar said.