Dhaka: A total of 57,526 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have so far reached Saudi Arabia on 148 Hajj flights. Director of the Bangladesh Hajj Office Md Lokman Hossain confirmed that 148 flights had landed in Jeddah by 10am today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, 14 pilgrims have died so far due to natural causes as of Thursday. Among the deceased, 10 are male and four are female, with eleven deaths occurring in Makkah and three in Medina. The report highlights that the Saudi medical team has provided treatment facilities to 28,669 pilgrims, while the IT Helpdesk has offered medical services to 16,430 individuals till Thursday.
Lokman conveyed that a total of 78,500 people from Bangladesh have been permitted to perform Hajj this year. Of these, 660 agencies are managing Hajj operations under private management, including 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies. Of the total pilgrims, 4,565 will perform Hajj under government management, while 73,935 will proceed under private arrangements, according to Hajj office information.
Airline-wise data reveal that 28,834 pilgrims arrived on 73 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 20,236 on 53 flights of Saudi Airlines, and 8,456 on 22 flights of Flynas Airlines. The remaining 20,852 pilgrims are expected to reach gradually on designated airlines, the director added.
The first Hajj flight (BG3001), carrying 418 pilgrims, departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 17 April at 11:57pm for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. This flight was inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued a total of 78,378 visas so far, including 4,455 under government management and 73,923 under private management. The return flight is scheduled to depart from Jeddah on May 30.