Leaders of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB), have demanded reduction of Air fare for the private management pilgrims this year.
Shahdat Hossain Taslim, Secretary General of HAAB, made the demand
with three other points in Annual Doa and Iftar Mahfil held at the Police Convention Centre in the city’s Ramna on Saturday.
HAAB President Abdus Sobhan Bhuiyan Hasan presided at the programme, while Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister AKM Shahjahan Kamal, Secretary of the Ministry Mahibul Haque, Ministry of Religious Affairs Secretary Anisur Rahman, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry Bazlul Haq Harun, MP, Nozibul Bashar Maizvandaree, MP, AKM Abdul Awal (Saidul Rahman), Moqbul Hossain, MP, Mohammed Amir Hossain, MP, members of the committee, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Bangladesh Abdullah H M Al-Mutairi and Yeakub Sarafati, Senior Vice-President of HAAB, among others also addressed the programme.
Urging government to reduce air fare of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Shahadat Hossain said that the national carrier had illogically fixed higher fare for the pilgrims this year which can be compromised.
“The government started e-Hajj system and various other steps with much appreciation to ensure a transparent, accountable and people oriented Hajj policy. But the fare taken by Biman Bangladesh Airlines currently is totally illogical, unreasonable and unfair. It must be cut.” Shahadat Hossain Taslim said.
He proposed also for a third carrier besides Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines.
“We also demand giving of permission to all Middle East based airlines to carry hajj pilgrims for our smooth journey,” said Taslim.
`We do not want to be the subject of any sufferings this year, he said. Earlier, HAAB announced the Hajj package under private management for the upcoming pilgrimage in 2018.
This year, the total cost will be Tk 3, 32,868 which is about Tk 13,000 higher than that of the previous year.
According to an agreement with Saudi Arabia, a total of 127,198 pilgrims from Bangladesh will be able to perform Hajj this year.
Of them, 7,198 will perform Hajj under government management and 1,20,000 under private management.
Hajj is likely to be held on August 21 this year subject to moon sighting.
