Over 73,000 Hajj pilgrims return to Bangladesh; 44 reported dead

NN Online:
A total of 73,493 Bangladeshi pilgrims have returned home after performing Hajj this year, while 44 deaths have been reported during the pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, according to the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

So far, 190 return flights have brought pilgrims back. Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated 93 flights carrying 32,362 pilgrims, while Saudia Airlines flew back 26,684 pilgrims on 74 flights. Another Saudi carrier, Flynas, returned 8,776 pilgrims on 23 flights. An additional 5,672 pilgrims returned on other airlines.

According to the ministry’s latest update on the Hajj portal, 86 percent of the scheduled return flights have already been completed, and an equal percentage of pilgrims have made it back to Bangladesh.

This year’s Hajj was observed on June 5. A total of 87,100 Bangladeshis were registered for the pilgrimage, arranged through 70 private agencies. The first return flight departed Saudi Arabia on June 10, with the final one scheduled for Thursday.

Among the 44 pilgrims who died, 33 were men and 11 were women. Makkah reported the highest number of deaths at 26, followed by 14 in Madinah, three in Jeddah, and one in Arafat.

The latest reported death was of Md Abul Kalam Azad, a 65-year-old pilgrim from Mithapukur upazila in Rangpur, who passed away on Saturday. He had arrived in Saudi Arabia on May 30 via a Flynas flight.

Additionally, the ministry noted that 14 pilgrims are currently undergoing treatment in various Saudi hospitals.