Pilgrims will pay 31% more for Hajj this year

The government has fixed Tk 6,83,018 as the Hajj package cost for every person who will go on the pilgrimage under the government’s arrangement this year, marking a 31 per cent increase from last year.

State Minister for Religious Affairs Md Faridul Haque Khan announced the package after a meeting of the executive committee on Hajj management on Wednesday.

According to the state minister, the private Hajj agencies will fix their packages in coordination with the government. However, it will not be less than the government package.

Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) President M Shahadat Hossain Taslim said they will announce their package at a press conference on Thursday.

In 2022, pilgrims under government management had to pay Tk 5.86 lakh and Tk 5.21 lakh for two packages, respectively. And the pilgrims under the private agency arrangement paid Tk 5.23 lakh for the package.

The cost has increased for this year’s annual pilgrimage due to rising plane fares and the depreciation of the taka against the Saudi Riyal and US dollar, according to officials concerned.

Hajj is likely to take place on June 27 or 28 this year, depending on the moon sighting. To ensure smooth travel for Bangladeshi pilgrims and overall proper management, the governments of Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on January 9.

According to the agreement, some 1,27,198 people from Bangladesh would be allowed to perform Hajj this year. Of them, some 15,000 will go under government management and 1,12,198 under private management.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines will carry 50 per cent of these pilgrims while Saudia Airlines will carry the rest 50 per cent.

The age limit for Hajj pilgrims imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic by the Saudi government has also been lifted, paving the way for people over 65 to go for the significant pilgrimage.

According to the Route to Mecca initiative deal, all Hajj pilgrims will complete their pre-arrival immigration in Dhaka.

In case of a Covid-related vulnerable situation, the Saudi authorities can decide on the number of the pilgrimage.

This year, 70 per cent of Bangladeshi pilgrims will go through King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and the rest 30 per cent will go through Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah.