Some 76,360 people, who are interested in performing holy Hajj this year, are yet to complete the online registration process as most of the Hajj agents have abstained from registering pilgrims as they are organising an agitation to press for their demands. The government, however, yesterday extended the online registration process till April 23. Earlier, the religious affairs ministry had asked all the Hajj agencies to complete the online registration process by 5pm on Monday (today). Sources said a total of 10,235 people has completed the registration process under private management, while only 3,405 people are under government management. The Saudi Arabian government has allowed 1,27,000 Bangladeshis to perform Hajj this year. “The ministry has considered our request and extended the duration of the online registration process till April 23. The empty quotas will be distributed among the Hajj agents serially after the registration process is ended after April 23,” Hajj Agents Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) secretary-general Shaikh Md. Abdullah, also panel leader of HAAB Democratic Forum in its upcoming election, told The Independent yesterday after a meeting held with the religious affairs minister, principal Matior Rahman.
The meeting was held at the minister’s residence in the capital.  Among others, the secretary of the ministry, Abdul Jalil, HAAB president Iqbal Bahar and HAAB vice-presidents Mohammad Helal and Farid Ahmed Majumder and other officials attended the meeting.
Some 1,134 Hajj agencies are working to reach the target. A maximum of 150 people can register their names under each Hajj agency.
Under the first package, a person would have to pay Tk. 3.81 lakh, up from Tk. 3.60 lakh last year. Under the second package, the amount would be Tk. 3.19 lakh from the previous year’s Tk. 3.05 lakh.
This year, a total of 1, 17,758 people will go to Saudi Arabia under private management to perform Hajj. There are 1,134 Hajj agents across the country who have licences to send pilgrims to perform Hajj and Umrah.
Of them, 487 Hajj agencies were able to enter the registration server system till Sunday evening and only 51,337 pilgrims’ information forms were completed.  “The agency owners will begin the online registration process from now. The minister has assured us that our demands would be met,” Shaikh Md Abdullah said.