Hajj packages likely in Aug amid pressure to meet Saudi deadlines
City Desk :
The Religious Affairs Ministry has begun preparations for the 2026 Hajj, as the Saudi government has set a strict timeline for all participating countries including Bangladesh to complete the entire process well in advance.
Under the new roadmap, missing any deadlines including registration, payment, or signing of service agreements could risk pilgrims’ chances of performing Hajj, according to the ministry officials, reports UNB.
Religious Affairs Secretary AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik said, “Hajj is a bilateral arrangement between two countries and this time we must start earlier. We’ve already met with Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and we are working in phases to finalise the package.”
“We’re still waiting on service provider costs and airfare. Once we have those, we’ll hold an executive committee meeting to finalise and announce the package hopefully by August.”
Saudi Arabia has allocated a quota of 127,198 pilgrims for Bangladesh for 2026, similar to previous years, through its Nusuk Massar platform.
Hajj is expected to begin in the last week of May 2026, subject to moon sighting.
However, this time, the final registration must be completed by October 12, and the full amount must be deposited by then.
The government will need to transfer the service package fees to Saudi Arabia by December 21, followed by signing final agreements with Saudi service providers by January 4, and the housing and transportation payments must be completed by January 20.
The Bangladesh-Saudi bilateral Hajj agreement is scheduled to be signed on November 9.
Officials said completing such a comprehensive process so early poses a major challenge.
In 2024, the primary registration for Hajj started in September, and the package was declared at the end of October whereas this year’s preparations are beginning in July.
The primary registration for 2026 Hajj began on Sunday (July 28).
Prospective pilgrims must deposit Tk 4 lakh to secure their preliminary registration.