Staff Reporter :
The group leader of 173 hajj pilgrims fled away with their money instead of depositing in banks to get their visa and house rent in Makkah-Madina.
Consequently, the unfortunate 173 pilgrims might miss their today’s flights.
“The crisis is due to group leader’s fraud at the last end. However we are trying our level best to send 173 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia,” M Sahahdat Hossain Taslim, President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, told The New Nation on Thursday.
“It is difficult to say that those pilgrims would be sent by the scheduled flight on Friday. But maybe it will be quite tough” he said.
According to HAAB, a problem surfaced earlier about renting house in Saudi Arabia of another 37 pilgrims of Desh Vramon Private Limited and issuing visa to them. At that time, group leaders were hiding after collecting money from hajj aspirants. The problem was however, solved after meeting with agency in presence of HAAB leaders. Flight of these pilgrims scheduled is also today and August 4.
“106 pilgrims from Swadesh Oversees and 67 from Bidesh Vromon Travels confirmed the Biman Bangladesh Airlines tickets earlier and their flight was scheduled Friday (today). But till Thursday, permission from the Saudi Arabian government for renting house is not yet taken. As a result, we don’t find any visa application for 173 pilgrims from concern agency yet,” Saiful Islam, Director of Ashkona Hajj Camp told.
Meanwhile, an agency owner submitted allegation seeking justice for the fraud of another agency. The victim sought the ministry’s help to get back his 198 pilgrims money form an agency owner.
The affected agency has submitted written allegation to the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism respectively seeking justice against S N Manzur Murshed (Mahabub), proprietor of the Sureswar Travels.
According to a Religious Affairs Ministry sources, recently a hajj agency owner namely Md. Shiblul Wahid, proprietor of M/S Wahid Travels (H/L no-1398) has submitted a letter on July 3 to the secretary of the ministry to take necessary action against Mahabub who is also the President of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB.
He wrote in the letter that Mahabub received Tk nine lakh from Shiblul Wahid for giving him 198 Saudi Arabian Airlines tickets to go to hajj this year. But still he could not get tickets for his pilgrims and Mahabub don’t pay the taken money yet. As a result, Shiblul was bound to buy air tickets from Biman Bangladesh Airlines with more cost for emergency bases.
“Such type of a letter got. But due to busyness for Hajj, will talk letter” Md Anisur Rahman, Secretary of the Religious Affairs Ministry said regarding the matter.
Sources said, recently the Saudi Arabian Airlines has cancelled the International Air Transport Association (IATA) facilities of Sureswar Travels for not paying the huge amount of money for selling the airlines tickets round the year. As a result, Mahbud could not pay any Saudia Airlines tickets this year.
The group leader of 173 hajj pilgrims fled away with their money instead of depositing in banks to get their visa and house rent in Makkah-Madina.
Consequently, the unfortunate 173 pilgrims might miss their today’s flights.
“The crisis is due to group leader’s fraud at the last end. However we are trying our level best to send 173 pilgrims in Saudi Arabia,” M Sahahdat Hossain Taslim, President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh, told The New Nation on Thursday.
“It is difficult to say that those pilgrims would be sent by the scheduled flight on Friday. But maybe it will be quite tough” he said.
According to HAAB, a problem surfaced earlier about renting house in Saudi Arabia of another 37 pilgrims of Desh Vramon Private Limited and issuing visa to them. At that time, group leaders were hiding after collecting money from hajj aspirants. The problem was however, solved after meeting with agency in presence of HAAB leaders. Flight of these pilgrims scheduled is also today and August 4.
“106 pilgrims from Swadesh Oversees and 67 from Bidesh Vromon Travels confirmed the Biman Bangladesh Airlines tickets earlier and their flight was scheduled Friday (today). But till Thursday, permission from the Saudi Arabian government for renting house is not yet taken. As a result, we don’t find any visa application for 173 pilgrims from concern agency yet,” Saiful Islam, Director of Ashkona Hajj Camp told.
Meanwhile, an agency owner submitted allegation seeking justice for the fraud of another agency. The victim sought the ministry’s help to get back his 198 pilgrims money form an agency owner.
The affected agency has submitted written allegation to the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism respectively seeking justice against S N Manzur Murshed (Mahabub), proprietor of the Sureswar Travels.
According to a Religious Affairs Ministry sources, recently a hajj agency owner namely Md. Shiblul Wahid, proprietor of M/S Wahid Travels (H/L no-1398) has submitted a letter on July 3 to the secretary of the ministry to take necessary action against Mahabub who is also the President of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB.
He wrote in the letter that Mahabub received Tk nine lakh from Shiblul Wahid for giving him 198 Saudi Arabian Airlines tickets to go to hajj this year. But still he could not get tickets for his pilgrims and Mahabub don’t pay the taken money yet. As a result, Shiblul was bound to buy air tickets from Biman Bangladesh Airlines with more cost for emergency bases.
“Such type of a letter got. But due to busyness for Hajj, will talk letter” Md Anisur Rahman, Secretary of the Religious Affairs Ministry said regarding the matter.
Sources said, recently the Saudi Arabian Airlines has cancelled the International Air Transport Association (IATA) facilities of Sureswar Travels for not paying the huge amount of money for selling the airlines tickets round the year. As a result, Mahbud could not pay any Saudia Airlines tickets this year.
