Rights of Hajj pilgrims violated: HAAB

Last Biman Hajj flight departs

 The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has alleged that the religious affairs ministry has violated the rights of Hajj pilgrims under the pretext of Hajj training. The HAAJ has also accused the ministry of misappropriating money. “The religious affairs ministry has realised Tk. 300 per pilgrim in the name of Hajj training. A total of Tk. 3.80 crore has been realised from the Hajj pilgrims this year,” said HAAB secretary-general Shahadat Hossain Taslim. He was talking to reporters at a press briefing at the Ashkona Hajj office.

Taking a dig at the religious affairs ministry, he said: “The religious affairs ministry didn’t give any training to pilgrims even though they have realised the money,” Hossain said. The ministry, however, has said district commissioners usually arrange training for the Hajj pilgrims. “We won’t say anything regarding the Hajj training. District commissioners (DCs) are responsible for arranging training for pilgrims. The religious affairs ministry paid the money as per vouchers sent by the DCs as far as training was concerned,” Abdul Jalil, secretary of the religious affairs ministry, told The Independent yesterday.

He also added that the Hajj agency-owners wanted the money to train their pilgrims. “The DCs are responsible for arranging the training as per Hajj guidelines. But if they (the agency-owners) want to train the pilgrims, it could become possible from next year, after the guidelines are changed,” Jalil said in reply to a query.

Meanwhile, the last Hajj flight will take off from Dhaka for Jeddah at 3:30am early Monday, Shakil Miraj, general manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told this correspondent yesterday.

“After the departure of the last Biman flight, the total number of pilgrims this year will be 64,600,” he added. He has also said Biman has carried 1,000 additional passengers compared to Saudi Arabia Airlines this year. According to sources, the total number of pilgrims carried by Saudi Arabia Airlines is 62,232 this year.

“A total of 1,26,249 Bangladeshis will perform Hajj this year. Some 849 people won’t be able to travel because of various reasons like illness, flood or failure to deposit money,” Syful Islam, director of the Ashkona Hajj Office, told this correspondent. The Saudi Arabian authorities have allocated a quota for 1,27,198 persons for Bangladesh this year.

 

Rights of Hajj pilgrims violated: HAAB

Last Biman Hajj flight departs

The Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) has alleged that the religious affairs ministry has violated the rights of Hajj pilgrims under the pretext of Hajj training. The HAAJ has also accused the ministry of misappropriating money. The religious affairs ministry has realised Tk. 300 per pilgrim in the name of Hajj training. A total of Tk. 3.80 crore has been realised from the Hajj pilgrims this year, said HAAB secretary-general Shahadat Hossain Taslim. He was talking to reporters at a press briefing at the Ashkona Hajj office. Taking a dig at the religious affairs ministry, he said: The religious affairs ministry didnt give any training to pilgrims even though they have realised the money, Hossain said. The ministry, however, has said district commissioners usually arrange training for the Hajj pilgrims. We wont say anything regarding the Hajj training. District commissioners (DCs) are responsible for arranging training for pilgrims. The religious affairs ministry paid the money as per vouchers sent by the DCs as far as training was concerned, Abdul Jalil, secretary of the religious affairs ministry, told The Independent yesterday. He also added that the Hajj agency-owners wanted the money to train their pilgrims. The DCs are responsible for arranging the training as per Hajj guidelines. But if they (the agency-owners) want to train the pilgrims, it could become possible from next year, after the guidelines are changed, Jalil said in reply to a query. Meanwhile, the last Hajj flight will take off from Dhaka for Jeddah at 3:30am early Monday, Shakil Miraj, general manager of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told this correspondent yesterday. After the departure of the last Biman flight, the total number of pilgrims this year will be 64,600, he added. He has also said Biman has carried 1,000 additional passengers compared to Saudi Arabia Airlines this year. According to sources, the total number of pilgrims carried by Saudi Arabia Airlines is 62,232 this year. A total of 1,26,249 Bangladeshis will perform Hajj this year. Some 849 people wont be able to travel because of various reasons like illness, flood or failure to deposit money, Syful Islam, director of the Ashkona Hajj Office, told this correspondent. The Saudi Arabian authorities have allocated a quota for 1,27,198 persons for Bangladesh this year.