The Hajj Agency Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) protested the requirement of 1,000 pilgrims for each Bangladeshi Hajj agency, which Bangladesh approved in compliance with the decision of Saudi authorities, reports UNB.
Speaking at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Thursday, the leaders of HAAB demanded that the agency-wise quota be cut down to 500 as per an earlier provision, otherwise pilgrims will suffer financially.
They also said if ultimately the quota of 1,000 has to be met, there is a possibility of chaos in the Hajj management and the pilgrims will not get the services they want as a result.
The association claimed that although in previous years the quota of Hajj pilgrims was mandatory from a minimum of 100 to a maximum of 300 people, the Saudi government suddenly changed the rules on December 9 and set the minimum quota at 1,000 people for an agency to send for the pilgrimage scheduled for first week of June this year.
In compliance with the latest Saudi decision Bangladesh's Ministry of Religious Affairs on January 4 issued a notification setting the minimum quota at 1,000 per agency.
They said that as per the government's earlier instructions, each agency had coordinated 500 Hajj pilgrims and completed all preparations. However, the government suddenly increased the number of passengers from 500 to a minimum of 1,000.
They said that if the Saudi authorities do not move away from such a decision, they will face major problems. In this case, the leaders of the association believed that the intending Hajj pilgrims will suffer financially.
Hajj agencies protest mandatory 1,000-quota
Pilgrims may suffer financially and service-wise
FE Team | Published: January 10, 2025 00:35:17
Hajj agencies protest mandatory 1,000-quota
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