Jeddah: A total of 51,581 Bangladeshi Hajj pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia through 132 Hajj flights. Director of the Bangladesh Hajj Office, Md Lokman Hossain, confirmed that these flights had landed in Jeddah by 10 am today.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, a hajj bulletin reported that 12 pilgrims have died due to natural causes until yesterday. Among the deceased, 10 were male and two female, with 10 deaths occurring in Makkah and two in Medina. The bulletin also mentioned that a Saudi medical team provided treatment facilities to 22,998 pilgrims, while the IT Helpdesk offered medical services to 14,869 until yesterday.
Md Lokman Hossain stated that 78,500 people from Bangladesh have been allowed to perform Hajj this year. This operation involves 660 agencies under private management, which includes 30 lead agencies and 630 coordinating agencies. Airline-wise data indicates that 24,637 pilgrims arrived on 62 flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, 18,488 on 48 flights of Saudi Airlines, and 8,456 on 22 flights of Flynas Airlines. The remaining 26,792 pilgrims are expected to arrive gradually through designated airlines.
The first 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. The flight was inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Of the total pilgrims, 4,565 will perform Hajj under government management, while 73,935 will go under private arrangements, as per the Hajj office information.
The Saudi Embassy in Dhaka has issued a total of 78,373 visas so far, including 4,454 under government management and 73,919 under private management. Subject to moon sighting, the holy Hajj is expected to be held in Saudi Arabia on May 26. The return flights are scheduled to depart from Jeddah on May 30, with the last return Hajj flight on June 30.