The announcement of resuming Umrah visa issuance is likely to come today, said an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Raising allegations of human trafficking in the name of Umrah Hajj the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stopped issuing Umrah visas on March 22 this year.
A leader of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh (Haab) also confirmed the news to the Dhaka Tribune.
The ministry official also said the Saudi government decided to resume the issuance of visas after Bangladesh agreed to fulfil some conditions.
The announcement is likely to come today from Riaj Mahmud, the director of Qasswa, the certified Umrah visa provider agency from the government of Saudi Arabia, who is now visiting Bangladesh.
Riaj had already sat with Religious Affairs Minister Motiur Rahman, Inter-Ministerial Parliamentary Standing Committee President Bajlul Haq Harun and the inspector general of police.
The Saudi government said more than 1,000 Bangladeshis had been living there illegally since they went there to perform Umrah last year.
Following the irregularities, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stopped issuing Umrah visas to Bangladeshis.
The Hajj Ministry of Saudi Arabia complained to the government of Bangladesh to take action against 31 Hajj agencies of Bangladesh allegedly involved in human trafficking in the name of Umrah Hajj.
Soon after noticing the matter, the Saudi government blacklisted Bangladesh.
Fortunately, the Saudi government has withdrawn the name of Bangladesh from the blacklist, Haab President Ibrahim Bahar told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Only three countries –Turkey, Uganda and Nigeria – are now on the blacklist, he said.
An official of the Religious Affairs Ministry requesting anonymity said actions were taken against the agencies at fault and the matter was brought to the notice of the Saudi government.