Govt to construct bldg in Makkah for 60,000 pilgrims

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The government has taken an initiative to build a building for the Bangladesh Hajj Mission in the holy city of Makkah for accommodation of 60,000 pilgrims, reports BSS.
This initiative has been taken at the directive of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Secretary of Religious Affairs Ministry Abdur Rab Hawladar said at a press conference Wednesday at PID conference room.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Shafiq Alam Mehedi and Principal Information Officer (PIO) KM Shamim Chowdhury were present on the occasion.
The religious affairs secretary said the overall hajj management in the current year was better than any previous years.
The Prime Minister herself monitored the hajj related activities this year and visited the Dhaka Hajj Camp on October 28 to inquire about the facilities of the pilgrims.
The state minister for religious affairs also visited the camp and monitored all activities there, he added.
The secretary said information technology (IT)-based help desks have been opened in Jeddah and at the Hajj Camp here.
As per the new hajj policy, 179 hajj guides were recruited and trained up before sending them to Saudi Arabia along with the pilgrims.
The religious affairs secretary said 16,145 pilgrims already returned home from Saudi Arabia after performing hajj this year.
This year, the total number of pilgrims from the country was 58,889. Of them, 8,209 were under government management and 50,280 under private management. The total number is up by 11,000 pilgrims this year compared to that of the last year.
A total of 20 Bangladeshi pilgrims died this year, the secretary mentioned.