Hajj costs to increase

People willing to perform Hajj this year will have to bear the brunt of the ongoing inflation as the cost for the pilgrimage will increase more than the last year.

Addressing a media briefing on Hajj on Sunday, State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan said, “We do not want to increase the cost of Hajj. But due to unavoidable circumstances, the cost will increase.”

“The price of Saudi riyal was Tk 21-22 last year which has increased to Tk 29-30 per riyal now. As such, Hajj expenses will increase automatically. Even then, we will try our best to keep the cost low,” he said.

He also said that the Hajj package will be declared at the end of this month. Last year, 56,952 people went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj from Bangladesh. A pilgrim paid Tk 5,86,340 for performing Hajj under government management package-1 while under package-2 the cost was Tk 5,21,150. On the other hand, a pilgrim paid a minimum of Tk5,22,744 for performing Hajj under private agencies last year.

Khan said that the Saudi Arabia-Bangladesh Hajj Treaty-2023 has been signed on January 9. According to the agreement, 1,27,198 Bangladeshis will be able to perform Hajj this year.

“Of them, 15,000 pilgrims will perform Hajj under government management while 1,12,198 under private agencies,” he added.

“Bangladesh Airlines will transport 50 per cent and Saudi Airlines will transport rest of the pilgrims,” said the state minister, adding, “This year, the condition of upper age limit has been waived. As a result, pilgrims aged above 65 will be able to perform Hajj this year.”

Under the Hajj agreement, pre-arrival immigration of all pilgrims traveling from Bangladesh through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport will be completed in Dhaka.

The state minister, however, said that any decision can be changed due to coronavirus. “If the Covid situation worsens, the Saudi authorities can decrease the number of pilgrims.”

This year, 70 per cent of Bangladeshi pilgrims, i.e. 89,038 pilgrims, will arrive and depart through Jeddah Airport and 30 per cent, i.e. 38,160 pilgrims, will arrive and depart through Madinah Airport.

Earlier on Monday last, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on Hajj quota, with the Kingdom allowing more than 127,000 pilgrims from the South Asian country to perform the holy pilgrimage in 2023, more than double the number last year. State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan took part in the signing ceremony in Jeddah with the Saudi Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq Al-Rabiah.

The state minister went to Saudi Arabia on an official visit to discuss matters related to the pilgrimage this year.

Bangladesh had received a quota of 60,000 pilgrims in 2022, when the Kingdom limited the pilgrimage to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Before the pandemic, Bangladesh was allowed to send around 120,000 pilgrims.

“An agreement has been signed between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia which will allow 127,198 Bangladeshi pilgrims to perform the Hajj this year,” said Shahadat Hossain Taslim, president of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh who was a member of the official delegation.

He said, “Good news is that there will be no age limit for the pilgrims in this year which means anyone aged 65 or above will be allowed to travel to the Kingdom to perform the Hajj.”