Over 3,000 yet to return after hajj

Last flight with hajis landed Dhaka Oct 17

Over 3,000 Bangladeshis, who went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year with various private hajj agencies, are yet to return home after performing the pilgrimage. The last flight with Hajis from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh landed on October 17. It has been alleged that some hajj agencies are involved in human trafficking under claims of performing hajj and Umrah. The government had cracked down on 95 hajj and Umrah agencies, out of 104, including the hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), for their involvement in human trafficking in the guise of sending people for performing Umrah last year.
According to the religious affairs ministry, as many as 1,01,758 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims had performed the holy hajj this year.
“Over 3,000 hajj pilgrims are yet to return home from Saudi Arabia. Many passengers also returned through a third carrier. So, we are awaiting the actual figures from Saudi Arabian hajj Office and the immigration department,” Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, director of the hajj Department in Dhaka, told The Independent yesterday.
Kamal warned that stern action would be taken if anybody or any agency was involved in human trafficking under the pretext of sending passengers to perform hajj or Umrah.
“We won’t tolerate any irregularities in this respect as the country’s image is involved,” he added.
Meanwhile, a HAAB leader

has said the long package and the use of the third carrier are reasons for the delay in hajj passengers returning home.
“After we get the final numbers from the hajj exit list of Saudi Arabia’s immigration, we will come to know how many Bangladeshis are overstaying there,” HAAB’s senior vice-president Mohammad Helal told this correspondent yesterday.
He has also claimed that no agency owner is involved in human trafficking. “No passenger would like to stay in Saudi Arabia after performing the hajj. Many hajjis are still returning home through a third carrier. Many government officials and other senior officials went to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj using a third carrier,” Helal said in reply to a query.
Earlier, on January 11, the Cabinet approved  the hajj Package 2016, setting the minimum cost for a pilgrim at Tk. 304,903, up by Tk. 8,697 from the previous year. The licences of 69 hajj and Umrah agencies were cancelled and deposits confiscated last year due to irregularities in sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj and Umrah. Twenty-six other agencies were fined and had their deposits seized.
The religious affairs ministry had decided to punish the hajj and Umrah agencies in accordance with the list of the Saudi Arabian government and recommendations of the probe committee that the ministry formed in September.

 

Over 3,000 yet to return after hajj

Last flight with hajis landed Dhaka Oct 17

Over 3,000 Bangladeshis, who went to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year with various private hajj agencies, are yet to return home after performing the pilgrimage. The last flight with Hajis from Saudi Arabia to Bangladesh landed on October 17. It has been alleged that some hajj agencies are involved in human trafficking under claims of performing hajj and Umrah. The government had cracked down on 95 hajj and Umrah agencies, out of 104, including the hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB), for their involvement in human trafficking in the guise of sending people for performing Umrah last year. According to the religious affairs ministry, as many as 1,01,758 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims had performed the holy hajj this year. Over 3,000 hajj pilgrims are yet to return home from Saudi Arabia. Many passengers also returned through a third carrier. So, we are awaiting the actual figures from Saudi Arabian hajj Office and the immigration department, Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, director of the hajj Department in Dhaka, told The Independent yesterday. Kamal warned that stern action would be taken if anybody or any agency was involved in human trafficking under the pretext of sending passengers to perform hajj or Umrah. We wont tolerate any irregularities in this respect as the countrys image is involved, he added. Meanwhile, a HAAB leader has said the long package and the use of the third carrier are reasons for the delay in hajj passengers returning home. After we get the final numbers from the hajj exit list of Saudi Arabias immigration, we will come to know how many Bangladeshis are overstaying there, HAABs senior vice-president Mohammad Helal told this correspondent yesterday. He has also claimed that no agency owner is involved in human trafficking. No passenger would like to stay in Saudi Arabia after performing the hajj. Many hajjis are still returning home through a third carrier. Many government officials and other senior officials went to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj using a third carrier, Helal said in reply to a query. Earlier, on January 11, the Cabinet approved the hajj Package 2016, setting the minimum cost for a pilgrim at Tk. 304,903, up by Tk. 8,697 from the previous year. The licences of 69 hajj and Umrah agencies were cancelled and deposits confiscated last year due to irregularities in sending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform hajj and Umrah. Twenty-six other agencies were fined and had their deposits seized. The religious affairs ministry had decided to punish the hajj and Umrah agencies in accordance with the list of the Saudi Arabian government and recommendations of the probe committee that the ministry formed in September.