Dhaka: A total of 63,261 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have so far reached Saudi Arabia on 163 Hajj flights. Director of the Bangladesh Hajj Office Md Lokman Hossain confirmed that 163 flights had successfully landed in Jeddah by 10 am today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, as of yesterday, 17 pilgrims had died due to natural causes, comprising 12 males and five females, with 12 deaths occurring in Makkah and five in Madinah. The Saudi medical team has provided treatment to 34,370 pilgrims, while the IT Helpdesk has offered medical services to 17,988 pilgrims till yesterday.
The director mentioned that a total of 78,500 people from Bangladesh have been permitted to perform Hajj this year. These operations are being managed by 660 agencies under private management, including 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies. Airline data shows that 32,840 pilgrims arrived on 83 flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 21,965 on 58 flights of Saudi Airlines, and 8,456 on 22 flights of Flynas Airlines. The remaining 15,126 pilgrims are expected to travel gradually through designated airlines.
The first Hajj flight (BG3001), carrying 418 pilgrims, departed from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on April 17 at 11:57 pm for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. According to Hajj Office information, of the total pilgrims, 4,565 will perform Hajj under government management, while 73,935 will go under private arrangements.
The Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued a total of 78,387 visas, including 4,465 under government management and 73,922 under private management. The holy Hajj is scheduled to be held in Saudi Arabia on May 26. The return Hajj flights will start departing from Jeddah on May 30, with the last return Hajj flight scheduled for June 30.