UNB, Dhaka :
The fate of some 15,000-20,000 Hajj pilgrims who intend to go to Hajj this year and completed their registration formalities, is still uncertain due to complexities in getting e-visa.
Shahadat Hossain Taslim, secretary general of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab), said the Saudi government did not accept the e-visa application from the hajj agencies for the hajj pilgrims who already performed hajj once in 2015 or 2016, unless they paid an extra 2,000 Saudi Riyal per head.
The hajj agencies have their bank accounts in Saudi Arabia and they deposited fixed amounts of money at the bank accounts for their clients, Taslim said, adding that the authorities concerned of Saudi Arabia, without any prior notice, had asked the agencies to pay the 2000 Saudi Riyal for each hajj pilgrim who already performed hajj in 2015 and 2016.
Some 15,000-20,000 hajj pilgrims would not be able to perform hajj this year due to complexities in e-visa process, said Shahadat.
Already seven flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been cancelled due to lack of hajj pilgrims, said Shakil Meraj, managing director (media) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Hafiz Uddin, joint secretary to the Religious Affairs Minister, said the visas of 42,000 hajj pilgrims had already been processed and over 20,000 people left for Saudi Arabia for performing hajj this year till Sunday.
He also said the decision to charge the extra 2000 Riyal from those who already performed hajj in the last two years came suddenly last week.
The fate of some 15,000-20,000 Hajj pilgrims who intend to go to Hajj this year and completed their registration formalities, is still uncertain due to complexities in getting e-visa.
Shahadat Hossain Taslim, secretary general of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab), said the Saudi government did not accept the e-visa application from the hajj agencies for the hajj pilgrims who already performed hajj once in 2015 or 2016, unless they paid an extra 2,000 Saudi Riyal per head.
The hajj agencies have their bank accounts in Saudi Arabia and they deposited fixed amounts of money at the bank accounts for their clients, Taslim said, adding that the authorities concerned of Saudi Arabia, without any prior notice, had asked the agencies to pay the 2000 Saudi Riyal for each hajj pilgrim who already performed hajj in 2015 and 2016.
Some 15,000-20,000 hajj pilgrims would not be able to perform hajj this year due to complexities in e-visa process, said Shahadat.
Already seven flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been cancelled due to lack of hajj pilgrims, said Shakil Meraj, managing director (media) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Hafiz Uddin, joint secretary to the Religious Affairs Minister, said the visas of 42,000 hajj pilgrims had already been processed and over 20,000 people left for Saudi Arabia for performing hajj this year till Sunday.
He also said the decision to charge the extra 2000 Riyal from those who already performed hajj in the last two years came suddenly last week.
