The government is set to take punitive action against 21 out of around 600 hajj agencies for their alleged involvement with irregularities and fraudulence with the pilgrims.
Their licences would be cancelled and deposits might be confiscated, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told a press conference held at the conference room of his ministry yesterday.
Religious Affairs Secretary Chowdhury Babul Hassan, who attended the press conference organised to brief reporters on the success in hajj management by the government, said the ministry had received specific allegations against these hajj agencies.
“The allegations are being investigated properly. Tough action will be taken against the owners and persons concerned of those agencies after investigation,” he added.
Babul claimed that the owners of these agencies demanded additional money from the pilgrims after getting their visas through the hajj director of the hajj office under the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The ministry had found some evidences too, he said, adding that it is difficult to maintain around 1,200 hajj agents of the country.
Menon, who also performed hajj this year, claimed that the government successfully managed the total hajj process this year. As a result, all the pilgrims, who paid “Moyallem” fees to perform hajj, were able to perform hajj.
The government ensured the hajj of around 400 pilgrims who were not sure to perform hajj due to fraud of some hajj agencies. Finally, the ministry provided them with money for their air tickets to travel to Saudi Arabia and perform hajj.
The money for the air tickets of the 400 pilgrims would be adjusted later, the minister added.
Admitting the mismanagement of the return of pilgrims, he said, “Some return flights were delayed due to some problems caused by the Saudi hajj authority. It was not our mistake.”