Hajj agencies urge govt to dismiss current committee
STAFF REPORTER
Leaders of the Hajj-Omrah Agencies Welfare Association of Bangladesh (HOAWAB) yesterday submitted four petitions before the commerce and religious affairs ministers and secretaries of concerned ministries to annul, what they claimed, the corrupt executive committee of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB). According to allegations made in HOAWAB leaders petition, the present executive committee of HAAB is involved in corruption, human trafficking and ticket syndication in the name of sending pilgrims for hajj and omrah. They urged the government to appoint an administrator for the HAAB so that it could hold a free and fair election and hand over the charge to freshly-elected leaders, the petition said. The petitions claimed that the present HAAB leaders have embezzled government funds of around Tk. 13 crore including about Tk. 10 crore by supplying 1.02 lakh sub-standard trolley bags to pilgrims this year, Tk 1.76 crore by taking Tk 200 from each pilgrim as toll and Tk 1.06 crore from hajj guides. The petitions were signed by former HAAB president and HOAWAB coordinator Jamal Uddin Ahmed, HOAWAB member secretary and Bangladesh Pilgrims and Hajji Welfare Council president Abdullah Al Naser, former senior vice-president of HAAB KHM Tajul Islam, HOAWAB joint secretary Nurul Haque, former senior vice-president of HAAB, who is also president of Lakshmipur Awami League, Golam Faruk, members Ruhul Amin Mintu, Rezaul Karim Uzzal, Alhajj Zakaria, Golam Mostafa and other members.
