hajj registration
20pc replacement facilities sought
“13,000 pilgrims may not be able to perform hajj this year, if the govt doesnt increase replacement facilities”
ANISUR RAHMAN KHAN
More than 13,000 pilgrims out of a total 1,27,198 pilgrim quotas allocated for Bangladesh may not be able to perform hajj this year, if the government doesnt increase replacement facilities to 20 per cent from the current four per cent. Meanwhile, about 500 agencies out of a total 536 approved hajj agencies are yet to submit their pilgrims passports to hajj office for visa, sources have said. Besides, at least 200 agencies are yet to rent houses due to failure of sending Muallems to Saudi Arabia, the source added. Many pilgrims, who registered their names to perform hajj, have failed to deposit necessary money, and many physically unfit pilgrims have withdrawn their names.
The government usually fills up the hajj quota through replacement facilities, religious ministry sources have said. Meanwhile, owners of hajj agencies and pilgrims want the government to increase the replacement facilities for pilgrims to 20 per cent. Uncertainty looms over filling up the hajj quota this year. About 13,000 pilgrims out of a total of 1,27,198 pilgrim quotas allocated for Bangladesh wont be filled up if the government continues to allow only four per cent replacement facilities and if it doesnt increase the replacement facilities to 20 per cent, Dr Abdullah Al Naser, president of Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council, told The Independent yesterday.
The religious ministry had allowed four per cent replacement facilities last year in the first phase and later it was increased to 15 per cent, he said, adding, It is possible to fill up this years quota if replacement facilities is increased to 20 per cent.
According to Naser, the government has decided to allow only four per cent replacements this year, which means only 4,900 pilgrims will be able to replace their names and perform hajj. Under the circumstances, the rest of around 13,000 pilgrims wont be able to perform hajj year, he added.
The matter is, however, totally unknown to hajj office officials. The four per cent replacement has been approved by the cabinet. So, the issue of increasing the replacement facilities depends only on the government, hajj office director of Ashkona Haji camp Syful Islam told The Independent.
He has also said they will implement the governments decision if the replacement facilities are increased. Its true many agencies are yet to submit their pilgrims passports. The last date for submission of passports is August 7, he said in reply to a query.
According to sources, at least 200 agencies are yet to rent houses in Saudi Arabia for pilgrims as the agencies concerned have failed to send Muallem there. sMeanwhile, the Biman Bangladesh authorities have already issued 40,000 tickets for pilgrims, the source added. A total of 127,198 Bangladeshis 7,198 under government management and 120,000 under private management are expected to perform hajj this year.
This years hajj flights will begin from July 14 and the last flight will leave Dhaka on August 14. This years hajj is likely to be celebrated on August 21, which of course depends on the sighting of moon.
