HAJJ REGISTRATION
PM intervention sought to accommodate all
Staff Reporter
An additional 50,000 and more people have their names already registered to perform Hajj this year, according to sources. Leaders of Hajj agencies and the Bangladesh Pilgrims and Haji Welfare Council have sought the Prime Ministers intervention so that all these people can perform Hajj.
The Saudi Arabian government has allowed 1,27,100 pilgrims from Bangladesh to perform Hajj this year. A total of 1,74,702 people have their names already registered, both under government and private arrangements, to perform Hajj this year. Of them, 37,495 registered their names last year, but could not be accommodated.
Around 2,500 people out of 10,000 have so far registered their names under the government arrangement. About 1,37,207 people have already registered their names under various Hajj agencies to perform Hajj this year, president of the Bangladesh Pilgrims and Haji Welfare Council, Advocate Abdullah Al Naser, told The Independent yesterday.
He said only 5,000 had registered their names last year under public arrangements, and later the government distributed the remaining 5,000 quota among private agencies.
Naser requested the government to distribute the governments remaining quota of 5,000 among Hajj agencies who have already completed the 150 quota, abiding by government rules and regulations. He urged the religious affairs minister and secretary of the ministry to distribute the governments remaining quota equally among the Hajj agencies.
We are requesting the Prime Minister to see that the additional 50,000 pilgrims can perform Hajj this year, he said.
On January 30, the Cabinet approved the Hajj packages for 2017, increasing the amount by Tk. 14,000Tk. 21,000. Each of the pilgrims will have to pay Tk. 14,000 to Tk. 21,000 more to perform Hajj this year.
Each pilgrim will have to pay Tk. 3.19 lakh to perform Hajj under government management, according to the draft of the 2017 Hajj package approved by the Cabinet. Those who select the top congregation pilgrimage package under private management will have to pay Tk. 3.81 lakh.
