The government
has to take up the matter with the seriousness it deserves. Time is very important here and it must see to it that the genuine pilgrims who have duly paid their money get their visas well before their flights
Uncertainty over hajj visas
It is a very serious concern that Hajj for 21,000 pilgrims, more than 20 per cent of the total pilgrims this year, has become uncertain as they have not received their e-visas which the Saudi embassy has introduced from this year. From our religious ministry it was pointed out that a new server has been installed in the Saudi embassy for issuing e-visas and there was a technical glitch in that server. If it is really so, it is the Saudi embassy that is to take the blame for this uncertainty and it is expected that the embassy would overcome this problem at the fastest and expedite the visa issuing process duly.
However, the uncertainty problem is further compounded by the fact that flights of the Bangladesh pilgrims to Mecca have already begun---in fact, 419 devotees already missed their schedule---and, according to a report published in this daily, the government is going to lose around taka five crore if this problem is not solved in time as it will have to count double fare to reach the pilgrims to Mecca.
As reason for the uncertainty, the religious ministry also said that the Saudi embassy was not cooperating with the government and it already sent back many passports. But there is a graver allegation from the Hajj Jatri Kalyan Sangsthya which said that false registration of as many as 20,000 pilgrims was done by the hajj agencies in collusion with high government officials of the religious ministry that include even the secretary and joint secretary. It has also been objected that a persons name has twice been registered for which the genuine names of the pilgrims have been left out.
The point is many pious Muslims regard performing Hajj is a great achievement of life and they accumulate money for the purpose for years to make the pilgrimage. If finally these people fail to make the much-desired travel, their sentiments might be greatly hurt. Now if the allegation of fraud with registration turns out to be true, it will be very embarrassing for not only the particular ministry, but also for the government as a whole.
Therefore, the government has to take up the matter with the seriousness it deserves. Time is very important here and it must see that the genuine pilgrims who have duly paid their money get their visas well before their flights.
