Kamruzzaman Bablu :
For the first time, the Saudi Arabia government has introduced pre-departure system at Hazrat Shahjala International Airport (HSIA) for Bangladeshi pilgrims to complete their immigration procedures before departure.
According to the system, Bangladeshi pilgrims will be able to have their immigration procedures completed in Dhaka before departure within a minute, which took even more than an hour in Saudi Arabia.
As a result, from now on, Bangladeshi pilgrims who had to wait for hours at Jeddah Airport after landing will get rid of immense sufferings in completing the immigration procedure.
The Hajj flights of this year start from today.
President M A Hamid on Tuesday inaurated the Hajj programme at the city’s Ashkona Hajj Camp as the chief guest.
“For the first time in a South-East Asian country, Bangladeshi pilgrims will be facilated by the pre-departure system’ M Shahadat Hossain Taslim, President of Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh told The New Nation on Wednesday.
‘It often takes hours- even up to six hours- to finish the immigration procedures at airports in Jeddah and Riyadh for Bangladeshi citizens during the rush hours of Hajj causing sufferings to them’, he said.
According to the Religious Ministry, at least 65,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims will not have to wait for completing the immigration process at Saudi Arabia airports as the Saudi government has introduced the pre-departure system at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) from this year. But it will not be possible this year to allow all dedicated flights under these facilities.
“Bangladeshi pilgrims will be able to enter Saudi Arabia through a jet-bridge after landing at the airport without any immigration formality because of the pre-departure system” Anisur Rahman, Secretary to the Religious Affairs Ministry told the New Nation on Tuesday.
“After two years of efforts, the Saudi government finally agreed to complete the immigration process from Dhaka instead of Saudi Arabia”, he said.
“So far two countries- Malaysia and Indonesia enjoyed this facility at their own airports”, added he.
Anisur Rahman said during the month-long Hajj flight operation, officials of the Saudi government would stay in Dhaka to look after the immigration process of Bangladeshi pilgrims.
Sources said, this year 127,198 pilgrims will perform Hajj under government and private management. Of them, Saudi Arabian Airlines will carry about 65,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims this year while Biman will carry the remaining. The Saudi Arab’s part immigration of pilgrims from both airlines would be held at Shahjalal Airport. Of them, Saudi Arab’s part immigration for all 7,197 pilgrims under government management also will be completed at HSIA.
According to the Hajj office, at least 65,000 Bangladsehi pilgrims immigration in Saudi Arab part would be completed at Dhaka airport for the first time.
“The Shahjalal Airport authority gave up a part with large space for Saudi immigration. The Saudi authority already took overall controling power of the zone for immigration of their parts. A separate boarding bridge is also being there. Pilgrims whose immigration of Saudi part will be at HSIA, those pilgrims immigration of Bangladesh part would be completed at Ashkona Hajj Camp. That is why selected pilgrims must have to report within 8-10 hours at the camp”, Saiful Islam, Director of the Hajj Camp told The New Nation.
“Bangladeshi pilgrims will also have to complete a 10-finger biometric registration in line with Saudi immigration rules”, he said.
‘This year, passengers of total 149 flights will get the pre-departure facilities. Of them, 121 flights from Biman Bangladesh and 28 dedicated Hajj flights from The Saudi Arabia Airlines,’ Saiful added.
Earlier, a technical delegation from Saudi Arabia came to Bangladesh on March 21 to oversee the pre-arrival immigration system and discussed the issues with officials of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Hazrat Shahajal International Airport, immigration and custom departments, Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Saudi Airlines.
