Reduction of Hajj pilgrims’ airfares proposed

Staff Reporter :
The Parliamentary Committee on Ministry of Religious Affairs has recommended to reduce the air fare of Hajj pilgrims to Tk 150,000 from Tk 197,797.
Last year, the plane fare was Tk 140,000.
The recommendation was made during a meeting of the Parliamentary
Committee held at Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban chaired by the committee Chairman Hafez Ruhul Amin Madani on Wednesday.
Earlier on February 1, the government announced the cost for performing hajj under government management has increased by Tk 161,000 this year as it has been fixed at Tk 683,018 for each pilgrim, while the day after Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) announced the package for performing hajj under private management fixing the minimum cost at Tk 672,618.
Committee members Syed Najibul Bashar Maizbhandari, Jinnatul Bakiya, Mosammat Tahmina Begum and Ratna Ahmed attended the meeting.
The meeting also recommended the ministry concerned to take measures to include specialized doctors for heart, asthma and diabetes diseases in the medical team to treat the pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
Apart from it, the committee also recommends for inclusion the Bangladeshi students those studying in various universities in Saudi Arabia to assist Hajj pilgrims there in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting was attended by the Director General of Islami Foundation and other senior officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Meanwhile, the government has extended the deadline for Hajj registration till March 16 (today) after its failure to fill up the quota.
This is the third extension to the deadline as an increase in travel costs amid rising inflation has frustrated potential pilgrims, forcing many to postpone their plans to perform the pilgrimage.
According to officials at the city’s Ashkona Hajj Camp, around 68,000 intended pilgrims have completed their registration against the country’s quota over 1.27 lakh.
A total of 127,198 Bangladeshis can register to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 15,000 will be able to do perform Hajj under the government management, while the rest will travel through private agencies.
Like the previous year, three airlines – Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudia Airlines and National Airlines — will carry the hajj pilgrims.
Hajj-2023 will be held on 9th day of the month of Zilhaj (28 June) depending on moon sighting.