A total of 127,198 Bangladeshis will be able to perform hajj this year, the same as last year, although the quota went unfulfilled in 2023.
Dhaka and Riyadh signed a bilateral agreement in this regard in Jeddah on Monday morning.
The Saudi Arabia delegation included Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Dr. Abdul Fattah bin Sulaiman Mashat and other officials of Saudi Arabia and the Bangladesh delegation included Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Md. Abdul Hamid Jamaddar, President of HAAB M Shahadat Hossain Taslim and other officials of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
During the meeting, various issues concerning the welfare of Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh and the management of Hajj in a fair and orderly manner were discussed in detail.
Last year, despite extending the deadline nine times, Bangladesh could not fulfil its quota for Hajj pilgrims. As many as reservations for Bangladesh remained unfulfilled in 2023, and had to go back to the host country. However it has not led to a reduction in the quota for Bangladesh.
HAAB President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim also urged the Saudi deputy minister to conduct Hajj activities in the same manner as previous years, without reducing the number of Hajj agencies involved.
He said that maintaining the current number of Hajj agencies would be advantageous in delivering services to Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims, especially to the elderly.
Later, the Saudi deputy minister have assured to consider HAAB's request.
The HAAB president requested the development of luggage transportation and better management for Hajj pilgrims, improvements in tent management at Mina and Arafah and the handing over of tents to the agency 10 days before Hajj.
During the meeting, Religious Affairs Secretary Abdul Hamid Jamadar discussed various issues related to Hajj management and the expansion of opportunities for Hajj pilgrims.
MSH
