The first Hajj flight of the year – Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-3301 – left Dhaka for Saudi Arabia with 419 devotees on Thursday morning.
Religious Affairs Minister Md Faridul Haque Khan inaugurated the first Hajj flight at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Earlier, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated this year's Hajj programme at the capital's Ashkona Hajj Camp on Wednesday.
Hajj may be held on June 16 subject to moon sighting. However, the visa process is still underway. The Ministry of Religious Affairs has extended the deadline till May 11 in the second phase to complete this process.
According to ministry sources, 86,527 pilgrims will visit Saudi Arabia from Bangladesh this year. Among them, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines will transport 50 per cent or 43,899 Hajj pilgrims.
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines will operate 116 dedicated pre-Hajj flights. Of these, 82 will be from Dhaka to Jeddah, 17 from Chattogram to Jeddah, 5 from Sylhet to Jeddah, 9 from Dhaka to Madinah, 2 from Chattogram to Madina, and one from Sylhet to Madina.
The Biman Bangladesh Airlines will also operate 125 dedicated post-Hajj flights. Of these, 73 will be from Jeddah to Dhaka, 15 from Jeddah to Chattogram, 2 from Jeddah to Sylhet, 22 from Madinah to Dhaka, 9 from Madina to Chattogram and 4 from Madina to Sylhet.
