Hajj agents want Tk 100cr of pilgrims returned

“Money taken from pilgrims for training, meeting 1pc additional house rent in KSA and as emergency fund remains unutilised”

A sum of Tk 100 crore collected from Hajj pilgrims and deposited in government accounts to meet the expenditure of 1 per cent additional house rent in Saudi Arabia, training of the pilgrims before sending them for performance of Hajj, and as an emergency fund has not been utilised.

Even though the Hajj agencies and the pilgrims have sought the funds from the government, the religious affairs ministry and the Hajj Office at Ashkona in Dhaka has not returned the unused funds for around 10 years now. The agents urged the government to return the funds to them.

According to the Hajj agencies, all Hajj pilgrims going under private management had to deposit an additional house rent for renting houses in Saudi Arabia so that the Hajj mission can manage any potential accommodation crisis there.

The agents claimed that the government has been taking an additional one per cent house rent, around Tk. 972, from each private pilgrim for the past four years.

The decision to take the additional fees was taken when some shelter-less Bangladeshi pilgrims were found in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj agents failed to ensure their accommodation there even after collecting house rent.

Even though the authorities have claimed they have rented additional houses and ensured lodging facilities for shelter-less pilgrims, not one of the private pilgrims has been able to avail this facility.

The officials concerned and some leaders of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) are misusing these funds of the pilgrims under the pretext of renting additional houses, they alleged.

They further claimed that the government has taken around Tk. 46.66 crore (Tk. 11.67 crore every year) from the pilgrims in the past four years. The entire funds have allegedly gone into the pockets of some corrupt officials of the ministry, the Hajj office and HAAB, they further alleged.

The Saudi Arabian government has allocated a quota of 1,27,198 Bangladeshis for performance of Hajj every year, considering the ratio to the total population.

According to the Hajj agents, the government has been taking Tk. 300 from each of the pilgrims for the past seven years in the name of training them while Tk. 200 was taken from each pilgrim as emergency funds for the past 10 years. A total of Tk. 52.15 crore (sums of Tk. 25.44 crore and Tk. 26.71 crore) was taken for these two purposes.

Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council president Dr Abdullah Al Naser claimed that though the Hajj agents were trying to get the funds back for several years, the authorities were not giving back the funds.

“Though the government has claimed that it has hired additional houses for the pilgrims, not one of the private pilgrims has got the facility yet. Then where have the funds gone? Some of the officials and HAAB leaders have pocketed the funds while the Hajj agents have had to suffer,” he alleged. HAAB secretary-general Shahadat Hossain Taslim told this correspondent that they have urged the government to give the funds back to those Hajj agents who are managing the private pilgrims, but the government is not returning the funds.

“We know the entire funds are not being used for the work. We told that government to give the unused funds back, but it didn’t respond in a positive way. After a portion of the funds was used, the rests remains in the government’s accounts. The authorities should give the funds back,” he added.

Religious affairs secretary Anisur Rahman told reporters that there were some funds in the government accounts that have remained unused. The ministry is considering the issue of giving the funds back to the agents or the pilgrims, he added.

Hajj agents want Tk 100cr of pilgrims returned

“Money taken from pilgrims for training, meeting 1pc additional house rent in KSA and as emergency fund remains unutilised”

A sum of Tk 100 crore collected from Hajj pilgrims and deposited in government accounts to meet the expenditure of 1 per cent additional house rent in Saudi Arabia, training of the pilgrims before sending them for performance of Hajj, and as an emergency fund has not been utilised. Even though the Hajj agencies and the pilgrims have sought the funds from the government, the religious affairs ministry and the Hajj Office at Ashkona in Dhaka has not returned the unused funds for around 10 years now. The agents urged the government to return the funds to them. According to the Hajj agencies, all Hajj pilgrims going under private management had to deposit an additional house rent for renting houses in Saudi Arabia so that the Hajj mission can manage any potential accommodation crisis there. The agents claimed that the government has been taking an additional one per cent house rent, around Tk. 972, from each private pilgrim for the past four years. The decision to take the additional fees was taken when some shelter-less Bangladeshi pilgrims were found in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj agents failed to ensure their accommodation there even after collecting house rent. Even though the authorities have claimed they have rented additional houses and ensured lodging facilities for shelter-less pilgrims, not one of the private pilgrims has been able to avail this facility. The officials concerned and some leaders of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) are misusing these funds of the pilgrims under the pretext of renting additional houses, they alleged. They further claimed that the government has taken around Tk. 46.66 crore (Tk. 11.67 crore every year) from the pilgrims in the past four years. The entire funds have allegedly gone into the pockets of some corrupt officials of the ministry, the Hajj office and HAAB, they further alleged. The Saudi Arabian government has allocated a quota of 1,27,198 Bangladeshis for performance of Hajj every year, considering the ratio to the total population. According to the Hajj agents, the government has been taking Tk. 300 from each of the pilgrims for the past seven years in the name of training them while Tk. 200 was taken from each pilgrim as emergency funds for the past 10 years. A total of Tk. 52.15 crore (sums of Tk. 25.44 crore and Tk. 26.71 crore) was taken for these two purposes. Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council president Dr Abdullah Al Naser claimed that though the Hajj agents were trying to get the funds back for several years, the authorities were not giving back the funds. Though the government has claimed that it has hired additional houses for the pilgrims, not one of the private pilgrims has got the facility yet. Then where have the funds gone? Some of the officials and HAAB leaders have pocketed the funds while the Hajj agents have had to suffer, he alleged. HAAB secretary-general Shahadat Hossain Taslim told this correspondent that they have urged the government to give the funds back to those Hajj agents who are managing the private pilgrims, but the government is not returning the funds. We know the entire funds are not being used for the work. We told that government to give the unused funds back, but it didnt respond in a positive way. After a portion of the funds was used, the rests remains in the governments accounts. The authorities should give the funds back, he added. Religious affairs secretary Anisur Rahman told reporters that there were some funds in the government accounts that have remained unused. The ministry is considering the issue of giving the funds back to the agents or the pilgrims, he added.