Pvt agencies announce Hajj packages

Hajj agency owners on Wednesday announced two packages for next year's Hajj under private management.
The owners under the banner of General Hajj Agencies announced the packages at a press briefing at the National Press Club in the capital.
The recently dissolved committee of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), represented by former president Faruq Ahmed Sardar, introduced the packages, with the general package priced at Tk 523,000 and the special package at Tk 699,000, both inclusive of food expenses.
He said the general package price excluded the cost of Qurbani.
Hajj agency owners expressed concern that there might be chaos during next year's Hajj because of the dissolution of the HAAB committee.
Former secretary general of the dissolved HAAB committee Farid Ahmed Mazumder said collaborators of the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime were still holding positions in different offices.
"We fear there might be chaos between Hajj agencies and HAAB due to the absence of the HAAB committee," he said, adding there would be uncertainties in providing services that were given to the pilgrims during the last Hajj.
He said Hajj costs could be cut by reducing airfare and the expenses borne in Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage. The airfare for a single pilgrim should not be above Tk 0.15 million (Tk 1,50,000), he added.
Earlier on October 15, the commerce ministry cancelled the HAAB committee and appointed the ministry's Joint Secretary Mohammed Daudul Islam as the HAAB administrator.
Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain, while announcing Hajj packages under government arrangements on October 30, said the price of the general package to perform Hajj in 2025 under private management was fixed at Tk 0.483 million ( Tk 4,83,156).
He also said private Hajj agencies could announce special packages apart from the government-declared general one.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Wednesday sent letters to Hajj agencies, mentioning the Hajj pilgrims' quota for 2025. Next year, 10,198 could perform Hajj under government management and 1,17,000 under private arrangements.
The letter said Hajj would be held on June 5 next year, subject to the appearance of the moon. It said the Saudi Arabian government had allowed a quota of 1,27,198 Bangladeshi pilgrims for the 2025 Hajj.
It also asked Hajj agencies to send the lists of Hajj guides within the stipulated time.
The 2025 Hajj registration started on September 1 and will continue till November 30. As per the Hajj portal, 2,945 people registered till Wednesday evening to perform Hajj under government management, and 7,842 under private arrangements.

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