NEWS reports said Bangladeshi hajis on their return flight from Saudi Arabia were being treated as not worthy of respect and human consideration at Jeddah international airport as they were forced to seat on the floor instead of on seats in the waiting lounge of the passengers.
The Saudi government volunteers meted out the humiliating treatment even when seats were lying vacant in the departure lounge while most Bangladeshi hajis and particularly elderly men and women were tired and exhausted waiting for the Biman flight. The report quoted a Saudi volunteer told Bangladeshi hajis that ‘your position is on the floor, not on the chairs even if they are vacant’ and prevented them from seating on the chairs available as vacant. They were so insulted in the presence of Pakistani and other nationals.
It is not that our hajis have been mistreated at the airport, our government has also been neglected. It has been proved that embassy has no influence to protect our image.
The Saudi government earned at least Tk 5,000 crore from Bangladeshi hajis this year. Every single haji spends 5 to 6 lakhs taka for performing hajj. But the abhorrent treatment with the hajis after the Mina stampede in which over one hundred Bangladeshi hajis were so far reportedly killed, with many others missing for poor management of the event, the airport treatment with our hajis was really inhuman.
Our people have special respect for the Saudi government and the Muslim brothers in Saudi Arabia. But this is not the first time Bangladeshi citizens going to Saudi Arabia have been mistreated.
What is more disturbing is the lack of visibility of members of Bangladesh embassy or Bangladesh government’s hajj team going there at public expense to look after the hajis from our country. The government delegation did not take any interest in the welfare of our hajis. Contrarily, as VIPs they keep the whole embassy people busy looking after their comforts.
As per some estimate several hundred government officials including physicians and administrative staffs were on the hajj team. It also included Biman’s staff. But most of them were busy with their own programme and serving the VIPs that include ministers, lawmakers and ruling party members.
The government has to explain such negligence in the treatment of our hajis by Bangladesh Embassy as well the members delegation sent for the welfare of the hajis.
