Religious Affairs Minister Motiur Rahman said on Sunday a total of 1,27,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform Hajj this year.
Although the same number of pilgrims were registered in 2017, finally 1,27,103 people could perform Hajj due to various anomalies and mismanagement by some private hajj agencies.
Of the total pilgrims, 7,198 will perform hajj under the government management, while the rest under private management. Bangladesh Biman and Saudi Arabian Airlines will carry 50 percent of the pilgrims, said the minister.
The number of pilgrims under the government management has increased in 2018, which was about 5,000 last year.
The minister came up with the information at a press briefing at Bangladesh Secretariat.
"A deal on Hajj has been signed between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh at Al Mukarram in Mecca city on January 14," he said.
Motiur Rahman was present there on behalf of the Bangladesh government and Dr. Mohammad Saleh Bin Taher Bentan, Saudi Omrah and Hajj Affairs Minister, on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government.
The minister said the Royal Saudi Kingdom has imposed 5.0 per cent VAT on all services and purchases effective from January 01. This will have an effect on accommodation, food and transport costs in that country. But the ministry will try to remain alert regarding the financial impact of the VAT on the pilgrims.
The Saudi government will also take tough measures to ensure security and discipline during hajj.
He also requested the private hajj agencies to be more careful and dutiful towards the pilgrims, and warned that no kind of irregularities and fraudulence by the agencies will be tolerated.
Replying to a query he added that investigation is underway against the irregularities of private hajj agencies.
[email protected]
