Staff Reporter :
State Minister for Religious Affairs Advocate Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah has assured that the Hajj registration money will be refunded if anyone fails to go to Mecca to perform the pilgrimage this year due to coronavirus attack.
The Minister said it while briefing the reporters at a press conference at his Secretariat office on Sunday.
This year’s Hajj flights will begin from June 23 as the holy Hajj is scheduled to be held on July 30. For this, the registration formalities will have to be completed by March 15, the Minister said.
“We are regularly keeping contact with the Saudi government. They assured us of providing all-out supports in this regard, he said.
As a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has temporarily ceased issuing visa for Umrah. Although that ban may be lifted soon, there may not be enough time to perform Hajj because that takes at least two months for getting preparation, according to him.
He urged everyone planning to perform Hajj to deposit the necessary payments with time in hand.
The Minister said some 725 people had registered their names under government management while 848 under private management till 1:00pm on Sunday which is very much frustrating.
A total of 137,198 pilgrims will go to Saudi Arabia from Bangladesh this year for performing Hajj this year, ministry sources said.
Among them, 120,000 people will perform Hajj under private management and 17,198 others under government management, according to them.
