Immigration of Hajj pilgrims to be held in Dhaka in 2020

State Minister for Religious Affairs Sheikh Md Abdullah has said immigration of all Hajj pilgrims will be held in Ashkona Hajj Camp in 2020 under the `Makkah Route Initiative’ of Saudi government.

He also directed the authority concerned to start the expansion and renovation works of Ashkona Hajj camp, according to the ministry sources.

The state minister said, Bangladeshi pilgrims have been constantly increasing since 2009, as the financial affordability of the people of Bangladesh has increased.

In 2009, the number of Bangladeshi pilgrims was 5,826 where the number of Hajj pilgrims increased to 1,26,923 in 2019, he said.

In addition, this year, about half of the Hajj pilgrims’ immigration for the Saudi Arabian part was completed in Dhaka under the royal Saudi government’s `Makkah Route Initiative’. Next year, all Hajj pilgrims will be covered under this program, inshaallah, he added.

He also said, as the number of pilgrims will increase in the near future, such activities will increase as well.

So from now on, necessary steps should be taken for the expansion and renovation of the Hajj camp, Abdullah said adding that this year, a total of 366 Hajj flights were operated.

It has been decided to complete the immigration formalities in 2020 of the Bangladesh part will be completed in the Hajj camp, he added.

Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary, Md. Anisur Rahman, representatives of Hajj Office, Dhaka Civil Aviation Authority, Department of Immigration and Passports and Biman Bangladesh Airlines, among others, were present at the meeting.

Dhaka/Naymuddin/AKA