Kamruzzaman Bablu :
The authorities would not issue Hajj visa for Bangladeshi pilgrims without confirmation of Biman tickets.
Without conformation of Biman ticket, Ashkona Hajj office would not receive any passport for processing Hajj visa.
This decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Monday with State Minister Advocate Sheikh Md. Abdullah in the chair.
Officials from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.
“The pilgrims, who will go to Saudi Arabia for performing this year’s Hajj under the government and private management, must confirm their Biman ticket to process Hajj visa,” a high official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told The New Nation on condition of anonymity.
He said the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines must sale tickets through one particular hajj agency so that anomalies should be curbed in the process.
“The Ministry has already formed several committees for proper surveillance in selling tickets, monitoring flights and hajj passengers and overall hajj management,” said the official, adding, “The government has already taken all-out preparation for ferrying of hajj pilgrims smoothly.”
A total of 1, 27,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform Hajj this year and 1, 20,000 will go under private management.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines started selling tickets for hajj passengers from Monday as the national flag carrier is scheduled to begin hajj flights from July 4.
Biman will transport 63,599 pilgrims to the Saudi Arabia.
The national flag carrier will operate 157 dedicated flights and 32 schedule flights in 32 days, from July 4 to August 5.
For the first time, Biman will operate 11 hajj flights per day from Dhaka to Madina.
Besides, 10 flights hajj flights would also be operated on Chattogram-Jeddah, three flights on Sylhet-Jeddah and seven dedicated flights on Chattogram-Medina route. There will be 126 flights on Dhaka-Jeddah route.
Return flight will start from August 17 and end on September 14.
Biman will penalise the pilgrims in case of cancellation of travel. Each pilgrim will have to pay US$ 350 as the penalty for cancellation of travel.
A pilgrim will be charged US$200 to $300 if he or she wants to change the date of travel.
The official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs further said that for the first the Bangladeshi pilgrims will complete immigration in Dhaka. For this reason, they have to send their info, including travel time, to Saudi Arabia one day before the flight.
The Saudi Arabian Airline will start selling tickets for hajj flights from today (Tuesday.)
According to Hajj bulleting of the Religious Ministry, some 117 agencies issued 19123 pay-orders of air tickets for pilgrims till Sunday.
Earlier, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines have been asked not to issue more than 300 air tickets for pilgrims to a Hajj agency during Hajj season.
This year, around 650 Hajj agencies will send 127,198 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. The two carriers will carry the pilgrims to the country. The two national carriers will carry half of the total 63,599 pilgrims each to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia will not provide any extra slot this year.
The authorities would not issue Hajj visa for Bangladeshi pilgrims without confirmation of Biman tickets.
Without conformation of Biman ticket, Ashkona Hajj office would not receive any passport for processing Hajj visa.
This decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Ministry of Religious Affairs on Monday with State Minister Advocate Sheikh Md. Abdullah in the chair.
Officials from Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines and senior officials of the ministry were also present at the meeting.
“The pilgrims, who will go to Saudi Arabia for performing this year’s Hajj under the government and private management, must confirm their Biman ticket to process Hajj visa,” a high official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told The New Nation on condition of anonymity.
He said the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines must sale tickets through one particular hajj agency so that anomalies should be curbed in the process.
“The Ministry has already formed several committees for proper surveillance in selling tickets, monitoring flights and hajj passengers and overall hajj management,” said the official, adding, “The government has already taken all-out preparation for ferrying of hajj pilgrims smoothly.”
A total of 1, 27,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will perform Hajj this year and 1, 20,000 will go under private management.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines started selling tickets for hajj passengers from Monday as the national flag carrier is scheduled to begin hajj flights from July 4.
Biman will transport 63,599 pilgrims to the Saudi Arabia.
The national flag carrier will operate 157 dedicated flights and 32 schedule flights in 32 days, from July 4 to August 5.
For the first time, Biman will operate 11 hajj flights per day from Dhaka to Madina.
Besides, 10 flights hajj flights would also be operated on Chattogram-Jeddah, three flights on Sylhet-Jeddah and seven dedicated flights on Chattogram-Medina route. There will be 126 flights on Dhaka-Jeddah route.
Return flight will start from August 17 and end on September 14.
Biman will penalise the pilgrims in case of cancellation of travel. Each pilgrim will have to pay US$ 350 as the penalty for cancellation of travel.
A pilgrim will be charged US$200 to $300 if he or she wants to change the date of travel.
The official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs further said that for the first the Bangladeshi pilgrims will complete immigration in Dhaka. For this reason, they have to send their info, including travel time, to Saudi Arabia one day before the flight.
The Saudi Arabian Airline will start selling tickets for hajj flights from today (Tuesday.)
According to Hajj bulleting of the Religious Ministry, some 117 agencies issued 19123 pay-orders of air tickets for pilgrims till Sunday.
Earlier, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines have been asked not to issue more than 300 air tickets for pilgrims to a Hajj agency during Hajj season.
This year, around 650 Hajj agencies will send 127,198 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. The two carriers will carry the pilgrims to the country. The two national carriers will carry half of the total 63,599 pilgrims each to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia will not provide any extra slot this year.
