UNB, Dhaka :
Amid deepening crisis over carrying intending hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, the government is planning to extend hajj flight operations till August 28 from August 26.
The government also expects that a Malaysian aircraft, taken on lease, will start carrying Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims on August 20. Civil
Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon came up with the updates at an urgent hajj-related meeting held at Biman headquarters on Monday. “Biman, as national flag carrier, is trying to ensure smooth ferrying of pilgrims. A request letter will be sent to General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to extend hajj flight operation from August 26 to August 28,” Menon said.
He said some 22 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been cancelled due to lack of adequate number of hajj pilgrims. “This created image crisis for the national carrier with financial loss though Biman was not responsible for this,” Menon said. Biman will either cancel or reduce national carrier’s other flights on various international routes to carry hajj pilgrims using additional seven slots with 14 newly availed of slots for flights operation, he said. Two flights from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi, three frights on Dhaka-Bangkok, five flight on Dhaka-Doha route, one flight on Dhaka-Dubai route, two flights on Dhaka-Kathmandu route, one flight on Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route, three flights on Dhaka-London, one flight on Dhaka-Muscat route, three flights on Dhaka-Riyadh route and two flights on Dhaka-Dammam route will either be cancelled or reduced, according to a press release issued by Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry. Some 62,547 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia so far among 1,27,198 who intend to perform hajj this year, officials said.
The Civil Aviation Minister said the government is putting in place its best efforts to make the process smooth.
He warned that the government will not spare anybody if found guilty for non-cooperation, negligence and unethical activities. The Minister mentioned that passports of some 15000 hajj pilgrims have not yet deposited to hajj office for visa processing and some 16 hajj agencies could not carry a single hajj passenger.
Amid deepening crisis over carrying intending hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, the government is planning to extend hajj flight operations till August 28 from August 26.
The government also expects that a Malaysian aircraft, taken on lease, will start carrying Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims on August 20. Civil
Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon came up with the updates at an urgent hajj-related meeting held at Biman headquarters on Monday. “Biman, as national flag carrier, is trying to ensure smooth ferrying of pilgrims. A request letter will be sent to General Authority of Civil Aviation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to extend hajj flight operation from August 26 to August 28,” Menon said.
He said some 22 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been cancelled due to lack of adequate number of hajj pilgrims. “This created image crisis for the national carrier with financial loss though Biman was not responsible for this,” Menon said. Biman will either cancel or reduce national carrier’s other flights on various international routes to carry hajj pilgrims using additional seven slots with 14 newly availed of slots for flights operation, he said. Two flights from Dhaka to Abu Dhabi, three frights on Dhaka-Bangkok, five flight on Dhaka-Doha route, one flight on Dhaka-Dubai route, two flights on Dhaka-Kathmandu route, one flight on Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur route, three flights on Dhaka-London, one flight on Dhaka-Muscat route, three flights on Dhaka-Riyadh route and two flights on Dhaka-Dammam route will either be cancelled or reduced, according to a press release issued by Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry. Some 62,547 Bangladeshi hajj pilgrims reached Saudi Arabia so far among 1,27,198 who intend to perform hajj this year, officials said.
The Civil Aviation Minister said the government is putting in place its best efforts to make the process smooth.
He warned that the government will not spare anybody if found guilty for non-cooperation, negligence and unethical activities. The Minister mentioned that passports of some 15000 hajj pilgrims have not yet deposited to hajj office for visa processing and some 16 hajj agencies could not carry a single hajj passenger.
