Around 40,000 pilgrims are facing uncertainty over performing hajj this year due to frequent cancellation of Biman flights, and imposition of additional fees on repeat pilgrims by the Saudi authorities.

The civil aviation and tourism ministry will convene an emergency meeting at the ministry today to discuss the latest situation, Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon told The Daily Star.

Top officials of the religious affairs and civil aviation ministries, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (HAAB) and Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh will be present.

“We're worried about the uncertainty surrounding about 40,000 pilgrims due to several reasons, including frequent cancellation of Biman hajj flights for shortage of passengers,” Menon said.

About the additional fees, he said his ministry came to know that Saudi hajj authorities were demanding an additional Tk 40,000 (2,000 Saudi Riyals) for issuing a visa to each of those who had performed hajj either in 2015 or 2016.

Md Hafizuddin, hajj director at Ashkona Hajj Camp, said around 15,000 pilgrims, who had performed hajj in either of the last two years, completed registration for performing the ritual this year again.

While applying for visas online, the repeat pilgrims were asked by the Saudi hajj authorities to pay an additional SR 2,000 each, said HAAB President Abdus Sobhan Bhuiyan.

The government had fixed this year's minimum rate of hajj package at Tk 3,19,355 for each pilgrim.

Shahadat Hossain Taslim, secretary general of HAAB, said neither the Bangladesh religious affairs ministry nor the Saudi authorities had informed them beforehand about the additional fees. “The hajj agencies and the pilgrims are not prepared to pay the extra fees at the final stage of the trip.”

Talking to The Daily Star, Religious Affairs Secretary Abdul Jalil said the Saudi government was yet to formally inform them about the additional fees.

According to him, the Saudi hajj ministry secretary will sit with some top officials of the Bangladesh Hajj Mission in Saudi Arabia today to discuss the issue.

About the uncertainty over the pilgrimage of 40,000 people, Jalil said a section of hajj agencies were yet to complete all the formalities, including renting houses in Makkah and Madina.

About 44,000 out of 1,27,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims have been granted Saudi visas so far this year, the secretary said.

Asked if the hajj agencies were responsible for cancellation of Biman flights, the HAAB secretary general said, “I can only tell you that completing hajj tour preparations requires coordinated efforts from several authorities. Other than the hajj agencies, Biman, the religious affairs ministry and the Saudi Authorities are involved in the process.” 

5 MORE FLIGHTS CANCELLED

Biman has cancelled five more hajj flights scheduled for yesterday and today due to shortage of passengers.

The national airliner had started operating hajj flights on July 24. It has cancelled 12 flights so far for the same reason.

AM Mosaddique Ahmed, chief executive officer and managing director of Biman, said cancellation of seven hajj flights left the trips of 4,900 pilgrims uncertain.

Of the latest cancelled flights, four were scheduled to leave Dhaka yesterday and the other today, said Biman General Manager (public relations) Shakil Meraj.

Biman operated two hajj flights yesterday carrying more than 838 pilgrims, he added.