Staff Reporter :
The Saudi government has reduced the minimum quota of pilgrims for Hajj agencies to send them directly for Hajj.
The quota has been reduced from 500 persons to 250 persons.
As a result, agencies those have 250 Hajj pilgrims will now be able to directly send people for Hajj.
Recently, in view of the request of Bangladesh, the Saudi government directly announced the decision to reduce the quota to send Hajj pilgrims.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has informed the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAB) and agencies on Saturday (January 27).
In response to the letter of the Ministry of Religion, the Saudi government issued a letter setting the minimum quota of the Hajj agencies of all countries including Bangladesh for the Hajj of 2024 at 2000 people and later 500 people.
Instead of the minimum quota of 500, the Ministry of Religious Affairs requested the Saudi government to allow all agencies in Bangladesh to send pilgrims.
It is also said that under the direction of the Minister of Religion, the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs M.A.Hamid Jamadar last January 24, asked Saudi Hajj and Umrah Ministry Vice Minister Abdul Fattah Suleman Mashat and Director General of Hajj Affairs Office Dr.Badr Alsolami over the phone to reconsider the issue of quota.
In view of the request, on January 26, the Vice Minister informed through a small message that the minimum quota of Hajj Agency of Bangladesh has been set at 250 people instead of 500 people.
In this context, any Hajj agency participating in the 2024 Hajj program can send directly to Saudi Arabia if there are 250 Hajj pilgrims.
According to the letter of the Ministry of Religion, those agencies whose number of pilgrims is less than 250 should coordinate with other agencies and determine the lead agency to send the pilgrims.
The next Hajj is scheduled on 16 June 2024, subject to moon sighting. This time, 1,27,198 people from Bangladesh will be allowed to perform Hajj.
Among them, 10 thousand 198 people will be able to perform Hajj under the quota of government agencies and 1,17000 people under the quota of private agencies, according to the Ministry of Religion.
