HC issues rule over Hajj package cost

Staff Reporter :
The High Court has questioned the legality of the high Hajj package cost announced by the government for this year. It has issued a rule asking the respondents to explain as to why the Hajj package announced by the government this year should not be declared illegal on the ground that it is contrary to the public interest.
At the same time, it also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to include other international airlines, besides the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Airlines, to carry Hajj passengers from Bangladesh on the basis of competitive air fares.
Religious Affairs Secretary, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary, Director General of the Islamic Foundation and Hajj Association of Bangladesh (HAB) have been asked to comply with the rule within four weeks.
The High Court bench of Justice K M Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition that sought its directives for re-fixing the price of the Hajj package announced by the government.
Lawyer Gazi Md Mohsin appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General ABM Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state.
Ashraf-Uz-Zaman, a Supreme Court lawyer, on March 6 this year sent a legal notice asking the Ministry of Religious Affairs to reduce and re-fix in seven days the cost of the hajj package within Tk 0.4 million per pilgrim instead of Tk 0.68 million.
Finally he filed a writ petition on March 12 as no response was found from the concerned bodies.
During the hearing on March 15, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said, “The cost of various sectors has increased due to the increase in the price of dollar and riyal. Besides, Saudi Arabia has decided over the airlines to carry the pilgrims. Moreover, the pricing of Hajj package is a policy-making decision of the government. So the court cannot question or interfere with the policy-making decision of the government.”
Then the court asked the state lawyer to discuss with the government whether the price of the package can be brought to a tolerable level. In the meantime, on March 22, the government announced to reduce the price of Hajj package by Tk 11,725.
According to the writ petition, the Ministry on February 2 this year announced the Hajj package, in which the Bangladesh government and Saudi Arabian government set Tk 0.68 million per pilgrim as the cost.
Most of the points of the circulated package are very unreasonable and beyond the reach of the common people, also read the petition.