Ashkona Hajj Camp is ready to welcome the Hajj pilgrims as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will officially inaugurate this year’s Hajj programmes today.
Officials at the camp have already gone all-out with their preparation regarding accommodation, food and medical service for the pilgrims.
Mizanur Rahman, director of the Hajj office under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told the Dhaka Tribune a total of 838 pilgrims will fly to Saudi Arabia under government arrangements on flights scheduled for August 27 and 28.
On the first day, 419 pilgrims will take two flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at 7am and 12 at noon.
All the 838 pilgrims have already received their visas.
Meanwhile, the first flight for pilgrims who will fly under private arrangements will leave on August 28.
According to the ministry, a total of 98,680 pilgrims registered to perform Hajj this year. Of them, only 1,505 are flying under the government’s arrangement and the rest have subscribed to agency services. Half the total passengers will take Bangladesh Biman flights while the other half will fly on Saudi Airlines.
Passengers of the first flight were handed their passports and tickets yesterday afternoon.
Senior officials of the Hajj Agencies Association of Bangladesh told the Dhaka Tribune that only 102 agencies out of 835 had received bar codes till Sunday.
It is expected that the other agencies would get the bar codes in phases.
Mizanur said 102 agencies had so far submitted the bar codes and till yesterday, the Saudi Arabia embassy in Bangladesh had issued more than 3,000 Hajj visas to the private agencies.
Pilgrims have already arrived at the camp.
Camp officials said the venue could accommodate 3,000 passengers at a time. There is a restaurant where the pilgrims can buy food from. Three medical teams will be at the camp round the clock to provide medical services for the pilgrims, if needed.
Inside the camp, there are five stores selling necessary Hajj related goods.
Ministry sources said a total of 80 hajj pilgrims of medical, administrative and IT team has left Dhaka for Saudi Arab on Monday.