Anisur Rahman Khan :
After two years of the Covid 19 pandemic period, Bangladesh has been allocated a quota of 57,856 pilgrims for performing Hajj this year (2022) to Saudi Arabia.
Bangladesh and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will sign an agreement in this regard likely after Eid-ul-Fitr.
According to the Religious Affairs Ministry, the intended people who registered their names to perform Hajj waiting for the last two years will get priority and there is no scope of breaching the serial numbers from the automated registration system of the government.
Usually, Bangladesh gets a quota of 1,37,127 pilgrims for the normal period for sending pilgrims to the country for performing Hajj.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) government has allocated the quota for Bangladeshi pilgrims basis on the ratio of total 10 lakh pilgrims, who will be allowed to perform Hajj this year.
Earlier, the KSA government gave announcement of arranging this year’s Hajj in presence of 10 lakh pilgrims from domestic and foreign nationals.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Haque Khan told this correspondent that the KSA authorities have officially informed Bangladesh Embassy in KSA about the quota and requested the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to send pilgrims for Hajj.
He said that the Saudi Arabia had decided to allow 10 lakh Muslim devotees from local and different countries to participate in this year’s Hajj, a sharp uptick after pandemic restrictions forced two years of drastically pared-down pilgrimages.
He said that the pilgrims, who have been waiting for a long time after completion of Hajj registration paying the entire Hajj fees, will get priority for performing Hajj.
He, however, said that the two countries will sign an agreement soon and the agreement is likely to be signed after Eid-ul- Fitr.
After the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Saudi government allowed only 1,000 pilgrims to participate the Hajj. But, they upped the total to 60,000 fully vaccinated citizens and residents chosen through a lottery in the year of 2021. Usually one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, about 25 lakh people took part in Hajj till 2019 from the previous years.
This year’s Hajj, which will take place in July, will be limited to vaccinated pilgrims under age 65, Saudi Arabia said on last Saturday. Those coming from outside Saudi Arabia will be required to submit a negative Covid-19 PCR test result from a test taken within 72 hours of travel.
The government wants to promote pilgrims’ safety ‘while ensuring that the maximum number of Muslims worldwide can perform the Hajj’, the KSA statement read.
When contacted, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) President Shahadat Hossain Taslim on Wednesday told The New Nation, “The Saudi government has given announcement to arrange this year’s Hajj with around 10 lakh pilgrims. Bangladesh will be able to send 57,856 pilgrims this year.”
“More than 54,000 Bangladeshi registered pilgrims have been waiting for two years paying the entire Hajj fees. More two lakh pilgrims have been waiting after pre-registration. No matter, how much the Saudi authority will allocate for us, we will be allowed to send the number of pilgrims within due time,” he said, adding, “But, we have to wait till the agreement is signed.”
