Dhaka: A total of 40,590 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have so far reached Saudi Arabia through 101 Hajj flights. Director of the Bangladesh Hajj Office Md Lokman Hossain stated that 101 flights had landed in Jeddah by 10 am today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, seven pilgrims have died so far due to natural causes. Of them, five were in Makkah, and two were in Medina. The report also mentioned that a Saudi medical team automatically provided treatment facilities to 6,832 pilgrims, while an IT Helpdesk offered medical services to 8,830 individuals.
Md Lokman Hossain further explained that a total of 78,500 people from Bangladesh have been permitted to perform Hajj this year. Out of these, 660 agencies are managing Hajj operations under private management, which includes 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies. The airline data shows that 18,992 pilgrims arrived on 46 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 14,456 on 37 flights of Saudi Airlines, and 7,142 on 18 flights of Flynas Airlines. The remaining 37,756 pilgrims are expected to arrive through designated airlines gradually.
The inaugural Hajj flight (BG3001), carrying 418 pilgrims, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on April 17 at 11:57 pm for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the flight. Of the total pilgrims, 4,565 will perform Hajj under government management, while 73,935 will go under private arrangements, as per Hajj office data. The Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued a total of 78,346 visas, including 4,443 under government management and 73,903 under private management.
Subject to moon sighting, the holy Hajj is expected to occur in Saudi Arabia on May 26. The return flights will commence from Jeddah on May 30, with the last return Hajj flight scheduled for June 30.