‘Govt increases Hajj packages for higher prices of Saudi Riyal’

Staff Reporter :
Despite sincerity of the government to manage this year’s Hajj at minimum expenditure, the government has to increase the package fees due to higher price of Saudi Riyal and US Dollars.
“We haven’t increased any cost of Hajj management from our side. We have to increase the cost due to higher price of Riyal and US Dollars. In 2022, the price of Riyal was only Tk 21 while it’s now Tk29 per. At least 33 percent of cost increased due to the price hike,” State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan said this on Sunday.
“We could lessen the cost by sending our pilgrims under ‘D’ category packages. But, the pilgrims will not be satisfied,” he added. He made the remarks while
addressing a seminar titled ‘Hajj Packages 2023 and Management’ organized by Religious Reporters’ Forum (RRF), a body of reporters working at different media outlets in Dhaka at a city hotel.
He also urged the intending pilgrims to register their names to perform Hajj this year.
RRF President Ubaidullah Badol presided over the seminar while Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) President M. Shahadat Hossain Taslim, Secretary General Faruk Ahmed Sarder and RRF’s founding General Secretary Faiz Ullah Bhuiyan spoke, among others.
RRF Vice President Rashidul Hasan, also senior reporter of Daily Star, presented the keynote speech while its General Secretary Kamruzzaman Bablu moderated.
In his speech, Faridul Haque Khan admitted about the sufferings of the pilgrims over the higher fees of pilgrimage and assured that he would talk to the Prime Minister for setting a procedure in next time, so that Hajj fees and plane fares can be fixed in a logical manner.
While addressing, HAAB President Shahadat Hossain Taslim urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the Hajj packages set for Bangladeshi pilgrims and deduct the higher costs from the packages to lessen pains.
“Biman, which is a commercial organisation, sets its plane fare every year. It usually considers its profit while fixes the fares. We have urged the PM and sent a letter to her on Sunday demanding to lessen the plane fare and deduct it from the package. At least Tk 57,797 was increased in the packages illogically. Not only Biman, foreign air carriers will also charge it and take huge amount of foreign currencies creating pressure of our reserves. It should be reduced and save our currencies,” he added.
He also cited the inconsistencies of the Hajj package and urged the government to resolve those.
When asked regarding High Court’s rule to reduce cost of Hajj packages, the State Minister replied, “We are yet to get the verdict of the High Court.”
In the keynote, Rashidul Hasan claimed that due to higher fees of Hajj packages, most people have lost their interests to perform Hajj. As a huge number of pilgrims were waiting since last three years, this year’s Hajj registration could be completed. But, it’s feared that less than 40 percent of the quota could be filled up in next year, if the fees remain in this stage.
He urged the government to fix Hajj fees in a logical stage and lessen sufferings of the pilgrims.