More than 20,000 aspiring Hajj pilgrims are in a dilemma over getting their Hajj visas this year as the Saudi embassy declared that it will not receive any application after September 15.
High-level sources at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said around 100 agencies were yet to submit visa applications and documents on behalf of their clients.
Mizanur Rahman, Hajj office director at MoRA, yesterday issued an emergency circular asking owners of the agencies to deposit their aspiring pilgrim’s passport with necessary documents within September 13 at the Hajj office as the Saudi embassy has informed them that they will not entertain any visa application after September 15.
While asked, he told the Dhaka Tribune that among the 835 private Hajj agencies, some 700 agencies has received visas for all of their clients.
“Few more agencies have also received visas partially. But, around 100 agencies did not submit any application at all,” he added.
He also informed that the Saudi embassy has already issued 75,000 Hajj visas until yesterday.
Among them, 32 thousand has already flown to Saudi Arabia.
“The number of pilgrims flying to Saudi Arabia is now increasing,” he added.
It was learn that hundreds of aspiring Hajj pilgrims have been running to and from Hajj agencies and the Hajj office at Ashkona seeking updates on their visa status and date of departure. However, they are yet to find any reliable answer from anyone in this regard.
Several officials of Hajj agency told the Dhaka Tribune that most of them have not yet received the bar code from Saudi government, but hoped that it will be dispatched within next 2/3 days.