Uncertainty has emerged over the availability of Quran recitation and translation services on Hajj flights operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, due to faults in inflight entertainment systems, according to relevant sources.
Hajj flights are scheduled to begin on Saturday, with the inaugural flight set to depart that night. This year, around 76,000 pilgrims from Bangladesh are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia, a significant portion of whom will be transported by Biman.
According to airline sources, a total of 215 flights are planned for the Hajj season—108 outbound and 107 return flights—carrying approximately 39,643 passengers.
Boeing 777-300 aircraft are set to be used for transporting pilgrims. However, one aircraft sent to Rome for maintenance has not returned within the scheduled time, creating uncertainty over the flight schedule.
Amid this situation, the issue of faulty seat monitors has come to light. Sources said many of the monitors are not functioning. While these are typically used for passenger entertainment, Hajj pilgrims also rely on them to listen to Quran recitation. The malfunction may therefore disrupt this service.
Biman officials said efforts are underway to repair the monitors, but it may not be possible to fix all of them within a short time. There are also allegations that the issue was reported earlier but did not receive adequate attention.
However, Biman spokesperson Bosra Islam said it is not true that all monitors are out of order. She acknowledged that some have faults but said they will be repaired before the flights operate.
