The first Hajj flight carrying 417 Bangladeshi pilgrims left Shah Amanat International Airport of Chittagong city for Saudi Arabia on Monday night.
The flight, BG-1015, of Biman Bangladesh Airlines departed from the airport at 9:25pm, said airport sources.
Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, also the general secretary of the city unit of Awami League, and AL’s lawmaker MA Latif saw the pilgrims off at the airport.
They exchanged views with the pilgrims before the flight’s take off while the CCC Mayor said all the authorities concerned were working intensively to send the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia without any hassle. The next flight is scheduled at 9:35am on August 20, said the airport sources.
This year a total of 12,000 persons applied for Hajj from Chittagong, however, 1,500 applicants’ Hajj performing has become uncertain due to visa related complexities, said Hajj Jattri Kalyan Sanstha sources.
Airport sources said this year about 10,000 people would go to Saudi Arabia for performing Hajj from Chittagong.
To carry the pilgrims, 16 special flights will take off from Chittagong to Saudi Arabia while the pilgrims can go to Jeddah by regular flights.
In Chittagong, a total of 76 Hajj agencies out of 96 are going to Saudi Arabia with Hajj pilgrims this year.