To make the Hajj journey easier, more organized, and safer, Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has directed the launch of a Hajj management centre to provide round-the-clock services for pilgrims from Bangladesh.
Yunus gave this directive during a meeting of the National Committee on Hajj Management at the State Guest House Jamuna on Tuesday.
The chief adviser said: "Allah has given us an opportunity to facilitate the holy Hajj. We must make the best use of this opportunity. No pilgrim should face any kind of suffering, and we must ensure that."
There are currently 1,275 licensed Hajj agencies in the country.
Among them, 941 agencies are qualified for Hajj operations, 753 agencies have registered Hajj pilgrims, and 70 agencies are designated as lead agencies.
Yunus instructed that the roles and responsibilities of these agencies be clearly documented and published in booklets as well as online.
He emphasized: "The government’s responsibility is to ensure that the agencies perform their duties correctly. If they fail, strict action should be taken. The entire Hajj process must be simple and transparent. The responsibilities of the government and the agencies should be clearly written down."
He further said: "If someone gets lost, falls ill, loses their luggage, or faces any other issue, there must be a clear guideline on what to do and whom to contact. Each pilgrim should have access to this booklet. Special measures should also be outlined for women and children."
Yunus proposed setting up a Hajj management centre in the country so that services can be monitored and ensured from Bangladesh.
He said: "Complaints received at the call centre should be monitored in real-time. A website should be created where all Hajj pilgrims will be connected. They can report issues, and if someone goes missing, their location can be tracked through the website."
He added that the complaints received at the call centre should be monitored to shape future action plans.
"The types of complaints should be recorded. Information must be kept on how many were resolved and how many were not. Measures should be taken so that these issues do not recur the following year."
Additionally, he ordered that any agency failing to perform its duties should have its licence revoked.
"Pilgrims' experiences should be used to review the agencies. It must be monitored whether agencies have proper training. Based on staff training, agencies should be categorized as ‘A,’ ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D.’ Those failing to meet the standard should have their licenses revoked."
To ensure that pilgrims are well-informed about what to do in any situation, he directed the creation of topic-based instructional videos.
"The videos should focus on problem-solving. If someone falls ill, gets lost, or faces issues during Qurbani, they should know what to do. Watching these videos will boost their confidence and preparedness."
From next year, the chief adviser suggested introducing a Hajj credit card and improving luggage management by keeping tag copies and maintaining a list.
"If we introduce a Hajj credit card, it will reduce the hassles for pilgrims. After returning to the country, any remaining balance on the card can be refunded in cash. Luggage often gets lost, so after check-in, a copy of the luggage tag should be kept, and a management center should maintain a list of these tags."
This year, 5,200 people have registered under the government’s management, while 81,900 have registered under private management. The government has decided not to send anyone on Hajj at its expense this year.
The meeting was attended by Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain among others.
