Return Hajj flights start today

The return Hajj flights will begin today with an aircraft of Biman Bangladesh carrying 419 pilgrims.

Flight BG-2012 will take off in Jeddah at 10:30am local time, confirmed Tasmina Akter, assistant manager (public relations) at Biman Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Saudi authorities have asked the Bangladesh government to take punitive steps against 43 private Hajj agencies allegedly for irregularities in services provided to the pilgrims, said an official at Bangladesh Hajj Office in Jeddah.

However, Nasir Uddin Ahmed, deputy secretary at the ministry of religious affairs, said they did not receive any official letter in this regard.     

“We will take necessary action after receiving the Saudi government's official document,” he told The Daily Star.

Besides, 200 pilgrims could not go to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj after being deceived by 17 Hajj agencies, added Nasir Uddin.

This year, a total of 97,989 Bangladeshis left the country to perform Hajj, said Abdul Malek, assistant hajj officer at Dhaka Hajj Office.

Of them, 1,508 went to Saudi Arabia through government arrangements, while the remaining through private arrangements, he added.

The national flag carrier will operate a total of 134 flights to bring back half of the pilgrims. Return flights of Biman Bangladesh will end on November 8.

Saudi Airlines will also operate return flights from today till November 17.