Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain has said that sending Hajj pilgrims by ship through sea routes would reduce the fare by 40% compared to air travel.
He said: “We have discussed with a shipping company, but we do not have a ship large enough to carry 3,000 Hajj pilgrims. We will have to charter a ship, which will cost Tk2,000 crore.”
He added: “If Bangladesh Bank grants a loan, we can make this happen, and the fare will be 40% less than air travel.”
He made the comments while attending an event as the chief guest at Deobhog Jamia Arabia Darul Uloom Madrasa on Friday night.
Khalid Hossain added that he would discuss the issue of sea travel for pilgrims with the finance adviser.
Referring to the airfare reduction, he mentioned: “Since taking office, I have been trying hard to reduce the cost of Hajj packages. We have held meetings with Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and they have agreed in principle to reduce the fare.
“As a result, we are hopeful that we will be able to bring down the airfare to a reasonable level,” he added.
He also added: “We plan to offer two Hajj packages. One near Haram Sharif and another two to three kilometres away."
"In both packages, we hope to significantly reduce the costs,” the adviser said.
