Stop fleecing Hajjis and expatriate workers

Performing Hajj from Bangladesh is doubly costly when compared to India and Pakistan.

Bangladeshi pilgrims can’t break the unholy alliance between Biman Bangladesh and Saudi Airlines, let alone getting subsidies like those of Malaysian and Indian Hajjis.

When a Bangladeshi pilgrim has to pay Tk 7 lakh, Indians and Pakistanis pay over Tk 3 lakh and Tk 4 lakh respectively.

That’s why Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) is demanding reduction in airfare which is also double compared to that of India.

According to a media report, HAAB has written to the state minister for civil aviation and tourism ministry in this regard.

Earlier a meeting held between the Saudi Hajj and Umrah ministry and Ministry of Religious Affairs decided to reduce the airfare, and accordingly fare was fixed at Tk 197,797. Seemingly, charging higher for Hajj, which is one among the five major pillars of Islam, means stakeholders want to pocket extra money from the pockets of pilgrims.

It also means the government considers Hajj like those of foreign fruits, gold, liquor and beer, smartphones, cars, air conditioners, refrigerators and spices which are discouraged to be imported.

The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission has recommended raising duties and tariffs on such imports, considering them non-essentials.

Now our question is should a Muslim-majority country like Bangladesh discourage obligatory religious rituals like Hajj?

Exorbitant charges on Hajj pilgrimage can also be compared with those of nonsensically high cost of labour migration from Bangladesh.

As the unskilled and helpless migrant workers, who are held hostage and charged exorbitantly by an unholy alliance of manpower exporters and corrupt government officials, are milked and thus made labour migration difficult from Bangladesh.

But the truth is Bangladesh heavily relies on the dollar and euro sent by these expatriate Bangladeshis to pay for the foreign loans and other costs involved with foreign currencies.

We call upon the governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia to halve the Hajj package cost and balance it with its South Asian peers like India and Pakistan.

We also urge not to hold hostage of the pilgrims and make money out of this important religious duty of Muslims in Bangladesh.