63,783 BD Hajj pilgrims return home

A total of 63,783 Bangladeshi pilgrims have returned home from the Saudi Arabia as of Monday following the completion of this year’s Hajj, which was held on May 26.

According to officials, 164 return flights have been operated by three designated carriers. Of these, 84 flights were conducted by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 58 by Saudia Airlines, and 22 by Flynas Airlines.

The Hajj office stated that 4,319 pilgrims returned under government management, while 59,464 returned under arrangements made by private travel agencies, all within the 164-flight operation.

Officials added that the remaining pilgrims are expected to return gradually through designated airlines. A director involved in the operation noted that the repatriation process is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, 54 Bangladeshi pilgrims died in Saudi Arabia during this year’s Hajj. Of them, 36 were male and 18 were female. Location-wise, 37 deaths were reported in Makkah, 16 in Madinah, and one in Jeddah.

The Hajj operations began with the first outbound flight on April 18 and concluded on May 21. The return phase started on May 30 and is scheduled to continue until July 1, completing the full repatriation cycle of this year’s pilgrimage.