Staff Reporter :
The running Hajj flight schedule may face disruption due to negligence of Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary and relevant Hajj Officer, claimed hajj agency leaders. By this time, 11 hajj flights have already been cancelled and fate of at least 5,000 Hajj pilgrims from Bangladesh became uncertain.
President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) Md Ibrahim Bahar blamed the government for this situation.
Md Ibrahim Bahar said it while talking to the reporters at a press conference in a city hotel on Wednesday.
HAAB President said that they received 20,000 less VISAs till yesterday for which many pilgrims won’t be able to go to Mecca.
“So far 63,000 visas ware issued of which 40,000 pilgrims left and 3000 more will go within a day or two, but rest 20,000 will not be able to go due to house rent complexity in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
“If the number of VISA were 80,000, then the Hajj might not be missed,” he said.
Ibrahim also said some problems like Monazzem, replacement and obligation of three moallems in a flight are also the reasons of the problem.
HABB Vice President Farid Ahmed Mojumder, Joint Secretary Mozammel Hossain Kamal, Public Reletion Secretary Sayem Mohammed Hasan and Member Hanjala were also present at the press conference, among others.
But Md Abdul Jalil, Secretary (in-charge) of Ministry of Religious Affairs told the New Nation on Wednesday, house rent related problem is the main cause of the flight delay.
He after the meeting said, they will solve the problems related with VISA and other issues on Wednesday night.
On the other hand, the Biman authorities instructed that from now on, all the Hajj agencies will have to confirm the VISAs and plane tickets 72 hours before the day of travelling, said the official.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines has to incur a loss as 10 Hajj flights were cancelled so far, read a press release issued on Tuesday night quoting Tasmina Akhter, Assistant Manager of Public Relations of the National Airliner.
The government has decided to take additional pilgrims in each Hajj flight to accommodate the pilgrims who have already missed 10 flights.
“We will increase the configuration of the Biman flight and will increase the capacity of passengers from 318 to 419 arranging more flights to accommodate 100 additional passengers,” said Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary SM Golam Faruque to the New Nation after a meeting with stakeholders and other ministry concerned at the ministry on Wednesday. He said they have also decided to keep two flights which were supposed to be cancelled due to shortage of passengers. He requested the pilgrims who already got the VISAs to purchase tickets immediately to go early.
Hajj flights of Bangladesh Biman began August 4.
However, Biman Bangladesh is expected to operate 144 Hajj flights while Saudia Airlines 107 flights from Bangladesh, said a press release of the civil aviation ministry.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines have been selected by the government for carrying the Hajj pilgrims this year. Both airlines will carry equal number of passengers, and maximum luggage allowance for each passenger weighting 46 kilograms.
A total of 1,01,758 Bangladeshis are expected to perform Hajj this year. Only 10,000 of them would perform Hajj under government management and the remaining 91,758 under private managements.
The outgoing flights will continue till September 5 and the return flights will begin on September 17 and end on October 16. The holy Hajj is likely to be held on September 12, subject to the sighting of the moon. On August 3, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated Hajj 2016 activities through a programme in city’s Askona Hajj Camp.
