Chittagong Bureau :
The erstwhile permanent Haji camp of Chittagong located over 9 acres of land worth about Tk 100 crores has been lying abandoned without any govt supervision since long.
In the meantime Hajj Pilgrims Welfare Council (HPWC) handed over a memorandum to Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong for onward transmission to Prime Minister for renovation of the 60 years old Haji camp into a full-fledged divisional Haji camp recently .
The memorandum was told that Pahartali Haji Camp in Chittagong was established with a number of permanent buildings in 1948 over 9 acres of land which is now lying as abandoned property of the govt without any caretaker as such floating dwellers and miscreants using these deteriorated buildings illegally. This abandoned Haji camp may be recommissioned through introducing the Divisional Hajj Office of Chittagong .
The memorandum also demanded Chittagong-Jeddah Hajj flight as desired by the people of the greater Chittagong since long. President of HPWC Ahamadul Islam Chowdhury and the Secretary General Principal Abdul Karim handed over the memorandum to Divisional Commissioner at 11 am on Wednesday .
Among others Prof. of University of Animal Science, Chittagong AKM Saifuddin, Co-chairman of FBCCI Alhaj Saleh ahmed Suleman, Vice President of Greater Chittagong Development Action Committee (GCDAC) Alhaj Hakim Mohammad Ullah, Kazi Md. Faizullah, Shahjahan Kaiser Mirza and Md. Shafiqur Rahman were present during the memo handing function..
The leaders demanded in the memo was that govt property of about 100 crores taka lying abandoned and uncared and this valuable govt property may be renovated easily within short possible time aimed at recommissioning the existing Haji camp .
The divisional Hajj office may easily be introduced at Chittagong after transfer of few officials from the Ministry of Religious affairs.
Meanwhile, to minimize the pressure on Dhaka-Jeddah flight, introduction of Chittagong-Jeddah flight is most essential as well as the intending hajj pilgrims of the greater chittagong will be benefited to maximum extents.
The memorandum also told that journey from Chittagong to Dhaka either by rail or road is very risky and sufferable due to timely non-available of train tickets, worse condition of Chittagong-Dhaka highway.
Moreover, maximum pilgrims from Chittagong zone are aged old and they have to suffer miseries and uncomfortable by road journey to Dhaka . It said govt can easily resolve the sufferings of pilgrims of greater chittagong if Chittagong-Jeddah flight as per requirement is introduced.
The memorandum also said it is not hard and complicated task of the govt to recommission the existing old haji camp and introduction of Chittagong -Jeddah flight which depends on cordiality of the govt towards Hajj pilgrims of the greater Chittagong . The memo demanded intervention of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this matter before the beginning of the Hajj flight from current hajj season .
In this connection, an emergency meeting of the HPWC was held at a post hotel here in first week of this month with its President Ahmedul Islam chowdhury in the chair. The meeting also demanded immediate steps for introducing Ctg-Jeddah flight from this hajj season . The meeting was also told that Hajj Training Workshop will be arranged at Zila Parishad Hall in city on August 16 next under the auspices of HPWC. The meeting also demanded Chittagong-Madina flight as like as other neighbouring countries including India and Pakistan.
Besides, political and city society leaders with the HPWC blamed govt for step motherly treatment to the Hall pilgrims from Division. These leaders said despite availability of all infrastructure and transportation facilities , direct hajj flights from Chittagong Shah Amanat Interntional Airport yet to e declared even long felt demand of the intending pilgrims.
While contacted secretary general of HPWC Principal Abdul Karim told that several direct hajj flights for hajj pilgrims are being operated from Mombai, Calcutta, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow of India and Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore,Peshawar and Quetta of Pakistan. He said a family of remote village of Chittagong consists of 3-4-5 members had to suffer unbearable sufferings if they go to Saudi Arabia through Dhaka Airport.
